สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 7  Figure 4: A Typical slum house. All ages of women are educated about cervical and breast cancer, but the emphasis is to also alert younger women, particularly teenagers about the need to be proactive about screening. Women over 40 years are given breast and cervical tests and those under 40, who are sexually active, receive only PAP smears, unless there are presenting breast symptoms. Women who have hidden their advanced symptoms are also encouraged to come forward for treatment. The project aims to overcome feelings of fear, shame or embarrassment, as barriers to seeking treatment or screening. Religious beliefs may be a deterrent to some women, who cling to the idea that they deserve breast or cervical cancer because of their negative acts in previous lives. The team will always try and persuade a woman that because the project is present in her community and is offering help, then she surely deserves the best care available. Other women, on a subsistence wage, will claim to be too busy earning the money for the family’s evening meal, rent and school fees, to attend the screening programme. Ignorance about both of these diseases, exhaustion, as well as the fear of being diagnosed are all barriers to seeking help. To encourage the women to come for checks, a magician entertains their children and grandchildren, as well as entertaining the women too. Acosmetic company brings a team to put make-up on the women, so the overall atmosphere is light hearted and fun. The women go home and spread the word in their communities that the whole experience is very positive. Women have often seen the sad fate of others in their Finola Chatamra