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. 2002 Dec;24(4):305-6.
doi: 10.1093/pubmed/24.4.305.

The effect of 'Alma's' death on women attending for a cervical smear: a questionnaire survey

Judith Richardson  1 , Vicci Owen-Smith, Andy Howe
Affiliations

The effect of 'Alma's' death on women attending for a cervical smear: a questionnaire survey

Judith Richardson et al. J Public Health Med. 2002 Dec.

Abstract

Following a story line in Coronation Street in which 'Alma' died of cervical cancer there was a large increase in the number of cervical smears taken in Manchester. To ascertain the extent to which women were influenced to attend for smears by this story line and why, we carried out a postal survey. Our results show that women were influenced to attend for smears (22 per cent) with many women doing so because the story line made them worry. Television influenced screening behaviour but it must be of concern to health promoters that this was done through the generation of anxiety.

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