Here is an interesting study from Ghana, which raises further issues for us to explore:
CITATION: David Ayangba Asakitogum et al. Ghanaian women beliefs on the causes, prevention and treatment of cervical cancer: A qualitative Study
International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences
ABSTRACT
Objective: The choice of the sick to access health care services in Ghana or consult a health care provider depends on the individuals’ beliefs about the disease and available services. This paper seeks to explore the health beliefs of cervical cancer survivors in Ghana.
Methods: We employed an exploratory qualitative approach in this study. We interviewed 12 participants to gain an in-depth understanding regarding the beliefs, causes, prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in Ghana. Data collection and analysis were done concurrently, and themes and subthemes were generated through content analysis. Verbatim quotes were used to support the findings.
Results: Three themes emerged. 1. Beliefs about the causes of cervical cancer, which include the choices of cloths and criminal abortions. 2. Beliefs on cervical cancer prevention; early education of the girl child on vagina hygiene and avoidance of highly processed food products. 3. Beliefs on cervical cancer treatment; participants believed that cervical cancer is one of the diseases not well managed in hospitals in Ghana.
Conclusions: Mistrust for orthodox cancer treatment is the leading rationale patients report late to the hospital in Ghana. Much is desired for public education on contemporary treatment and cure for cervical cancer disease.
It's notable that many believe that hospitals cannot successfully treat cervical cancer.
'The women expressed trust for their close friends, mistrust for hospital workers, and expressed that hospital treatment for cervical cancer is as deadly as cancer itself.'
“Yes, cancer is serious; those days when you hear that somebody has cancer, you are afraid…Because for cancer, there is no cure. The treatment (hospital) for it will even kill you…That is why I first went to my spiritual pastor before he contacted a professor and we went to the hospital for treatment”
'There is complete trust for herbalists or traditional healers and mistrust for hospital staff in Ghana when treating cervical cancer. The mistrust of hospital staff was due to a perceived lack of privacy and confidentiality in the healthcare systems'
The attitude towards hospitals can be understood by the fact that many patients have advanced disease by the time they get to hospital, and some of them will die while there. Consequently, the perception is that hospital treatment for cancer facilitates the early death of patients.
We have learned many examples of misinformation and false beliefs, from several countries: Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Somalia and elsewhere. Each country appears to have its own pattern of belief, with some beliefs being ubiquitous.
Two questions we can ask:
1. Where do these beliefs originate and how do they spread? Is this all inadvertent misinformation or is there an element of deliberate disinformation?
2. Can we identify any examples where women changed their minds after receiving reliable information? Stories of successful communication, where a woman was reassured and subsequently attended screening or accepted treatment, could be valuable.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org