Fernandes, José VeríssimoRodrigues, Silvia Helena LacerdaCosta, Yuri Guilherme Alexandre Silva daSilva, Luiz Cláudio Moura daBrito, Alípio Maciel Lima deAzevedo, Judson Welber Veríssimo deNascimento, Ermeton Duarte doAzevedo, Paulo Roberto Medeiros deFernandes, Thales Allyrio Araújo de Medeiros2023-01-162023-01-162009-02FERNANDES, J.V. et al. . Conhecimentos, atitudes e prática do exame de Papanicolaou por mulheres, Nordeste do Brasil. Revista de Saúde Pública (USP. Impresso), São Paulo, v. 43, p. 851-858, 2009. Disponível em: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rsp/v43n5/355.pdf. Acesso em: 08 dez. 20171518-8787https://repositorio.ufrn.br/handle/123456789/50965OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of women related to the Pap test and the association between these behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: A household survey with quantitative approach was conducted. A total of 267 women aged 15 to 69 years, randomly selected in a stratifi ed manner, living in the city of São José de Mipibu, Northeastern Brazil, were interviewed in 2007. A questionnaire consisting of pre-coded open questions was administered and answers were described and analyzed, as for adequacy of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women regarding the Pap test. Tests of association were carried out between sociodemographic characteristics and behaviors studied at a 5% signifi cance level. RESULTS: Although 46.1% of the women interviewed showed adequate knowledge about the Pap test, a signifi cantly higher proportion of adequacy was seen regarding attitudes and practices, 63.3% and 64.4%, respectively. Higher schooling was associated with adequacy of knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The main barriers to the Pap test were negligence, non-requesting by their physicians, and shame. CONCLUSIONS: The physician is the main source of information about the Pap test. However, women who more often attend medical visits, despite their good practice, show low adequacy of knowledge and attitudes related to the Pap test, which indicates that they are not receiving appropriate information on the test’s purpose, advantages and benefi ts to women’s health.Acesso AbertoPrevenção de Câncer de Colo UterinoEsfregaço VaginalConhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em SaúdeFatores SocioeconômicosSaúde da MulherEstudos TransversaisCervix Neoplasms PreventionVaginal SmearsHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeSocioeconomic FactorsWomen’s HealthCross-Sectional Studiesarticle