BACKGROUND: A descriptive study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, to investigate the beliefs of Muslim women and their practices regarding screening modalities of breast cancer. METHODS: A questionnaire was specially designed and validated to collect data and was completed by 410 Muslim women. RESULTS: A vast majority of women (90 per cent) said that breast self-examination is not against their religious beliefs. With regard to clinical breast examination, although 58 per cent preferred to be examined by a female physician, 47 per cent said that clinical breast examination by a male physician is not against their Islamic beliefs. However, only 6 per cent of respondents performed breast self-examination on a regular basis (monthly). CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that most Muslim women do not perceive breast self-examination as being against their Islamic beliefs and that they believe clinical breast examination by a male physician does not interfere with their religious beliefs.
BACKGROUND: A descriptive study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, to investigate the beliefs of Muslim women and their practices regarding screening modalities of breast cancer. METHODS: A questionnaire was specially designed and validated to collect data and was completed by 410 Muslim women. RESULTS: A vast majority of women (90 per cent) said that breast self-examination is not against their religious beliefs. With regard to clinical breast examination, although 58 per cent preferred to be examined by a female physician, 47 per cent said that clinical breast examination by a male physician is not against their Islamic beliefs. However, only 6 per cent of respondents performed breast self-examination on a regular basis (monthly). CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that most Muslim women do not perceive breast self-examination as being against their Islamic beliefs and that they believe clinical breast examination by a male physician does not interfere with their religious beliefs.
Authors: Adam Gyedu; Cameron E Gaskill; Godfred Boakye; Abdul Rashid Abdulai; Benjamin O Anderson; Barclay Stewart Journal: J Glob Oncol Date: 2017-09-29