The blame game: Cervical cancer, knowledge of its link to human papillomavirus and stigma

This two-study paper examined stigma toward women with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection (STI). For Study 1, participants (N = 352) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they read a brief description of a pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology & health 2014-01, Vol.29 (1), p.94-109
Main Authors: Shepherd, Melissa A., Gerend, Mary A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
blame
Cervical cancer
emotion
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Human papillomavirus
Humans
Male
Ovarian Neoplasms - genetics
Papillomaviridae
Papillomavirus Infections - complications
sexually transmitted disease
Sexually Transmitted Diseases - psychology
Stereotyping
stigma
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - psychology
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - virology
Young Adult
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Summary:This two-study paper examined stigma toward women with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection (STI). For Study 1, participants (N = 352) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they read a brief description of a patient with either cervical or ovarian cancer in which the cause of the patient's cancer was either specified (cervical: HPV, a STI vs. ovarian: family history) or unspecified. Participants in the cervical cancer/cause-specified condition rated the patient as more dirty, dishonest and unwise, and reported feeling more moral disgust and 'grossed out' than participants in the cervical cancer/cause-unspecified condition. For Study 2, participants (N = 126) were randomly assigned to read a vignette about a patient with cervical cancer in which the cause of cancer was either specified or unspecified. Consistent with Study 1, participants in the cause-specified condition rated the patient as more unwise, and reported feeling more moral disgust and 'grossed out' than participants in the cause-unspecified condition. These effects were mediated by attributions of blame toward the patient. Findings suggest that women with cervical cancer may be stigmatised and blame may play a role in this process.
ISSN:0887-0446
1476-8321
DOI:10.1080/08870446.2013.834057