BARREIRAS A REALIZAÇÃO PERIÓDICA DO PAPANICOLAOU: ESTUDO COM MULHERES DE UMA CIDADE DO NORDESTE DO BRASIL Barriers to compliance with periodic papanicolaou screening: study with women from a city of Brazil's northeast

We attempted to understand the barriers to compliance with the periodic Papanicolaou screening of women from a city in the northeast of Brazil. This was a descriptive, qualitative study of 83 women, developed within the Family Health Strategy, at Caio Prado, Itapiuna-CE, Brazil, during the period from September to November 2008. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview composed of leading questions analyzed according to Bardin. The results were organized according to the following topics: barriers to compliance with periodic Papanicolaou screening and difficulties of the health service in providing