Mortality rates of cervical cancer are high amongst Filipino women; however, uptake of cervical screening is low. A narrative literature review was conducted to identify known barriers and facilitators to cervical screening for Filipino migrant women.
A systematic approach was adopted for the search, data extraction, critical appraisal and synthesis processes of this review. Eight electronic databases were searched. Studies published in peer review journals in English between 1995-2019 were reviewed.
Twenty relevant studies were identified. Studies were heterogeneous in design and focus and mostly conducted in the US. A complex multifactorial picture of barriers to cervical screening was identified, which included: demographic, cognitive, access, health-care provider and cultural factors. None of the studies incorporated all factors.
This review demonstrates the complexity and multifactorial characteristic of cervical screening for Filipino migrant women. To increase uptake of screening, barriers to cervical screening for Filipino migrant women need to be fully understood. Future research should be conducted in different locations, focusing on multiple factors.
Aggregation of barriers and facilitators for Asian women combined tends to ignore cultural differences between groups. This review synthesises the existing but scarce literature to identify known barriers and facilitators to cervical screening for this specific population of Filipino migrant women.