Main Findings
Our study is the first systematic review of barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening globally, specifically for young women and adolescents under the age of 35. While there have been calls to action regarding this topic, it has been difficult to characterize the breadth of young women’s perspectives regarding screening. Our 36 included studies had a diverse spread of country locations across low-, middle- and high-income countries in addition to a range of study populations. Barriers encompassed three groups: lack of knowledge/awareness, negative perceptions of the test, and practical barriers to testing. Facilitators included stronger relationships with healthcare providers, social norms, support from family, and self-efficacy.