Increasing the uptake of cervical screening programmes.

Successful cervical screening programmes depend on the degree of coverage and the rate of attendance. There are many demographic reasons why some women fail to attend for cervical screening, including lack of knowledge and education and socioeconomic status. Moreover, a woman's ethnicity and her age also play a role in screening uptake. Community and practice nurses are ideally positioned to identify women's information needs and provide appropriate information to overcome barriers to screening attendance. This article discusses the main predictors of participation in cervical screening programmes and interventions that can be used to increase cervical screening uptake.