Objective:

to estimate the prevalence of Pap tests not performed in the last three years and never performed in women and to analyze factors.

Methods:

this was a cross-sectional study with women aged 20 to 69 years living in São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil, in 2015; prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated using Poisson regression.

Results:

among 919 women, prevalence of delayed testing was 17.8% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]15.4;20.3) and never tested prevalence was 8.1% (95%CI6.3%;9.8%); in the adjusted analysis, the increase in the prevalence of delayed testing was associated with economic class D/E (PR=2.1 - 95%CI1.3;3.5), being aged 20-29 years (PR=3.2 - 95%CI2.1;4.9) and not having had a medical appointment (PR=3.0 - 95%CI2.1;4.1); never having tested was associated with economic class D/E (PR=2.6 - 95%CI1.4;5.0), being aged 20-29 years (PR=24.1 - 95%CI6.4;90.9), and not having had a medical appointment (PR=2.9 - 95%CI1.7;4.8).

Conclusion:

coverage of the test was high but characterized by social inequality.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in English | Portuguese     · English ( pdf ) | Portuguese ( pdf )