Public Health · 2 h ago
Thai study identifies barriers to cervical screening for masculine-presenting AFAB people
A qualitative study interviewed 19 masculine-presenting people assigned female at birth in Bangkok about healthcare access, cervical screening and urogenital health. Participants described barriers including fear of pain, low perceived risk, administrative misgendering and financial constraints, despite generally accepting clinical encounters.
- Interviewed 19 masculine-presenting AFAB people in Bangkok.
- Fear, perceived risk and cost were reported barriers.
- Accepting encounters did not ensure screening access.
- Proposed approaches were not tested in this study.
Researchers conducted focused semi-structured interviews with 19 masculine-presenting people assigned female at birth, aged 28–65 years, in Bangkok, Thailand. They analyzed the original Thai-language data using a six-stage thematic framework, guided primarily by health-services frameworks.
The analysis identified seven themes: administrative misgendering; fear of pain and bodily exposure; symptom-contingent care and low perceived risk; financial and coverage barriers; self-management and reliance on peers or social media; preferences for more affirming clinic design; and limited spontaneous reporting of urogenital symptoms. The authors propose a “Quiet Avoidance Model” and describe a possible gradient in screening avoidance related to willingness to expose the body.
Participants’ accounts suggest that generally accepting clinical encounters do not necessarily ensure equitable preventive-care access. The authors propose clinic modifications, HPV self-sampling and verified gender-inclusive outreach as possible approaches, but this qualitative study did not test their effectiveness. Findings from a small sample in one Thai city may not represent other populations or settings. The article also notes Thailand’s inclusion of gender-affirming hormone services in its Universal Coverage Scheme, while identifying broader access and alignment across coverage schemes as ongoing needs.
In practice
For clinicians and services involved in cervical screening in Thailand, the interviews identify barriers that may be missed if care is assessed only by whether encounters are overtly accepting: participants described fear of pain or bodily exposure, low perceived risk, administrative misgendering and financial constraints. The authors suggest affirming clinic design, HPV self-sampling and inclusive outreach as possible ways to improve access. These approaches were not evaluated in this study, and findings from 19 participants in Bangkok do not establish effectiveness or generalizability; they do not support a specific change in screening guidance.
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BMC Public Health: Healthcare access, cervical cancer screening, and urogenital health among masculine-presenting people assigned female at birth in Thailand: The HAFFU Project ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.