ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2015
"A Somali girl is Muslim and does not have premarital sex. Is vaccination really necessary?" A qualitative study into the perceptions of Somali women in the Netherlands about the prevention of cervical cancer.
Article in International journal for equity in health, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.
- Factors that influence caregivers' and adolescents' views and practices regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for adolescents: a qualitative evidence synthesis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Perspectives of HPV vaccine decision-making among young adults: A qualitative systematic review and evidence synthesis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Understanding the health system barriers and enablers to childhood MMR and HPV vaccination among disadvantaged, minority or underserved populations in middle- and high-income countries: a systematic review.European journal of public health · 2024Pooled it
- Defining the determinants of vaccine uptake and undervaccination in migrant populations in Europe to improve routine and COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a systematic review.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2022Pooled it
- Socioecological Factors Influencing Sexual Health Experiences and Health Outcomes of Migrant Asian Women Living in 'Western' High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
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- HPV vaccination in a context of public mistrust and uncertainty: a systematic literature review of determinants of HPV vaccine hesitancy in Europe.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2019Pooled it
- Cultural barriers and facilitators of the parents for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake by their daughters: A systematic review.Jornal de pediatriaPooled it
- Who is left out? A systematic review on the barriers and facilitators for screening participation reported by people in vulnerable situations with strategies for the future.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026Review
- The Participation of Muslim Migrant Women in Gynaecological Cancer Screening Programs Within Non-Muslim Communities: A Scoping Review.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026Review
- Views on HPV-vaccination held by parents of Turkish and Moroccan origin in the Netherlands: an exploratory study using Q-methodology.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Religion, Politics, and Vaccines: Elaborating the Integrative Public Policy Acceptance (IPAC) Framework Through HPV Vaccine Program Acceptance Among Religious Leaders in Bangladesh.International journal of health policy and management · 2026Article
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- Barriers, facilitators, needs, and preferences in seeking information regarding cervical cancer prevention programs among Turkish, Moroccan, and Syrian immigrant women: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2025Article
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- Co-designing a theory-informed, multicomponent intervention to increase vaccine uptake with Congolese migrants: A qualitative, community-based participatory research study (LISOLO MALAMU).Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Article
- Young people with migration experience and their (non) encounters with Swedish sexual and reproductive health services and information: An explorative study.Journal of migration and health · 2024Article
- Do immigrants know less than natives about cancer screening tests? - the case of Netherlands.Journal of migration and health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionParticipation in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and Papanicolaou Screening (Pap smears) is low among ethnic minorities in the Netherlands and hardly any information is available about the cervical cancer prevention methods of Somali women living in the diaspora. This qualitative study, based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) and an intersectionality-based framework, explores the perceptions of Somali women living in the Netherlands regarding measures to prevent cervical cancer.
methodsSemi-structured interviews have been conducted with young Somali women aged 17-21 years (n = 14) and Somali mothers aged 30-46 years (n = 6). Two natural group discussions have been conducted with 12 and 14 Somali mothers aged 23-66 years. The collected data has been analyzed thematically for content.
resultsIn this study, we have identified perceived barriers to the use of preventive measures across three major themes: (1) Somali women and preventive healthcare; (2) Language, knowledge, and negotiating decisions; and (3) Sexual standards, culture, and religion. Many issues have been identified across these themes, e.g., distrust of the Dutch health care system or being embarrassed to get Pap smears due to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and having a Dutch, male practitioner; or a perceived low susceptibility to HPV and cancer because of the religious norms that prohibit sex before marriage.
conclusionsCurrent measures in the Netherlands to prevent women from developing cervical cancer hardly reach Somali women because these women perceive these kinds of preventative measures as not personally relevant. Dutch education strategies about cervical cancer deviate from ways of exchanging information within the Somali community. Teachers can provide culturally sensitive information to young Somali women in schools. For Somali mothers, oral education (e.g., poetry or theater) about the Dutch health care system and men's roles in HPV transmission may be useful. An intersectional approach, grounded in the HBM, is recommended to promote equal access to preventive health care for Somali women.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.