CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUE OF COVERAGE, ADHERENCE TO PAP SMEAR EXAMINATION, AND EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTIPROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN REDUCING INEQUITIES

Abstract

Cervical cancer remains a major public health challenge for women, especially in developing countries, where it significantly contributes to high rates of female morbidity and mortality. Although it has the potential for prevention and cure when diagnosed early, there are still major challenges regarding screening coverage and women's adherence to cytopathological examination. The objective of this study was to evaluate cervical cancer screening in Primary Health Care (PHC), focusing on epidemiological aspects related to preventive examination coverage. This is an integrative literature review, using data from the SciELO, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases and official documents from the Ministry of Health and the National Cancer Institute (INCA), with studies from the period 2020 to 2025. The results showed that low adherence to preventive examination is directly affected by socioeconomic, cultural, and structural factors. It was noted that multidisciplinary initiatives carried out in primary health care, such as health education, active case finding, and humanized care, have an impact on expanding coverage for screening and early diagnosis. Strengthening primary health care and adopting organized screening strategies are fundamental measures to reduce inequalities and improve women's health.