[Risk factors for cancer of the cervix in women prisoners].

The study aimed to identify risk factors for the development of cervical cancer in women prisoners. Cross sectional study with a quantitative approach carried out in a female penal institute on the state of Ceará, Brazil. The selection of the sample occurred according to the availability of female prisoners at the time of collection, with a total of 36 women prisoners. Regard to the risks for cervical cancer, 16 (44,5%) women were smokers, 24 (70.5%) have made use of the oral contraceptive for a median of 46 months, 24 (66,6%) began their sexual lives with less than 15 years, and 26 (72,2%) reported use of condoms, but 10 (38,4%) of them used it rarely. These findings demonstrate that the prisoner female population is more vulnerable to the cervical cancer, requiring the health promotion in the correctional institution environment, since that time is configured as a unique opportunity.