Journal article 90 views 7 downloads
Exploring Autistic People’s Experiences of and Attitudes Towards Cervical Screening: A Mixed-Methods Study
Shona Murdoch,
Bethany Donaghy,
Aimee Grant 
,
Kayleigh Sheen,
David John Moore
,
Kayleigh Sheen,
David John Moore
Autism
Swansea University Author:
Aimee Grant
-
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© The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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DOI (Published version): 10.1177/13623613261439937
Abstract
Cervical screening can be lifesaving, yet attendance rates are lower than recommended within the general population and even lower within the autistic population. There is currently no published research systematically exploring autistic people’s cervical screening experiences. This research aimed t...
| Published in: | Autism |
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| ISSN: | 1362-3613 1461-7005 |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2026
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71831 |
| Abstract: |
Cervical screening can be lifesaving, yet attendance rates are lower than recommended within the general population and even lower within the autistic population. There is currently no published research systematically exploring autistic people’s cervical screening experiences. This research aimed to explore the experience of cervical (“smear”) screening for autistic people in the United Kingdom. Autistic people (N = 97) completed an online mixed-methods questionnaire about their cervical screening experiences. Questions considered experiences of pain, sensory and communication issues, knowledge of cervical cancer, attitudes towards screening, and experience of sexual assault. Findings suggest that an autistic person’s intention to attend their screening is important to understand their actual attendance at the screening. Quantitatively, pain, sensory and communication issues, or knowledge of cervical cancer were not associated with screening attendance. However, qualitatively, they were. Two themes emerged: “Communication disconnect across the care journey” and” Echoes of the past: the lasting impact of previous care encounters” were discussed as barriers to screening engagement. This research highlights the need to improve healthcare communication and other accessibility needs for autistic people when attending cervical screening and for further development of appropriate measurement tools. More research is needed to further inform methods of improving cervical screening services for autistic people. |
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| Keywords: |
autism; cancer screening; cervical screening; mixed methods; theory of planned behaviour |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
None |