Addressing Stigma in Screening and Diagnostic Delay for Cervical Cancer

This study aims to 1) implement a culturally and contextually rooted innovative multifoci, social marketing intervention involving societal focused media campaign elements to break down the barriers and facilitate timely and appropriate screening practices for cervical cancer; 2) measure cervical cancer stigma from a culturally relevant theoretical and conceptual framework; and 3) assess the influence of stigma on hindering seeking the PAP test. Further, this is an international study that will bring together a multi-disciplinary investigatory team, community advocates and State health agencies to deliver a social marketing intervention in Southern California (the Inland Empire region specifically) and Trinidad and Tobago.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Cervical Cancer Screening
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: supportive care

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 336
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
      • City of Hope Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Study Population

200 participant recruited from the Inland Empire, Trinidad and Tobago

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Women will be included if they:

1. have not been diagnosed with any type of cancer
2. are between the ages of 18-70
3. self-identify as being African descended or Latina
4. are able to speak English and/or Spanish
5. acknowledge that a Pap test is currently needed

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Cervical cancer is diagnosed only in women, therefore this study only includes women
2. Women who have been and/or are currently diagnosed with any type of cancer will be excluded
3. Women with other major medical conditions (e.g. stroke and degenerative illness) will be excluded
4. During the screening the level of symptomatology for depression and anxiety will be assessed. Women with severe depression and anxiety will be excluded, but appropriate psychological follow-up and referral will be provided
5. Women older than 70 years will be excluded

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Social media intervention; Women between the ages of 18-70 who have not been diagnosed with any type of cancer and are of African descent or Latina	Other: supportive care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Evaluation of the ability of the social media intervention "End Stigma End Fear, End Cervical Cancer" to counter stigma of cervical cancer among disadvantaged women who acknowledge needing a Pap test at pre-intervention baseline	To evaluate the ability of the social media intervention "End Stigma End Fear, End Cervical Cancer" to counter stigma of cervical cancer, by determining whether, among disadvantaged women who acknowledge needing a Pap test at pre-intervention baseline, degree of exposure to the intervention is associated with the following endpoints at 3 months after the intervention is implemented: post-intervention change in stigma score relative to pre-intervention, and; Pap testing (scored as 0=made no attempt, 1=made some attempt but did not get tested, 2=obtained Pap test).	3 months after the intervention is implemented

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Assessment of whether change in stigma score is associated with Pap testing.	3 months after the intervention is implemented
Identification of factors associated with exposure to the intervention overall and to its individual components	3 months after the intervention is implemented
Assessment of whether each component of the intervention is associated with the study endpoints, by testing the 4 components (billboards/posters, newspaper advertisements, health brochures, and radio announcements) rather than the overall exposure score	3 months after the intervention is implemented

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: City of Hope Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kimlin Ashing-Giwa, PhD, City of Hope Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 31, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 31, 2011
• First Posted (Estimated): February 2, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 7, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 1, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cervical Cancer Screening
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Genital Diseases; Urogenital Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Uterine Diseases; Genital Diseases, Female; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Uterine Cervical Diseases; Uterine Neoplasms; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Therapeutics; Patient Care; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services; Palliative Care
• Other Study ID Numbers: 09136

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No