Women's Narratives of Encounter with Specialists in Healthcare Centers: Focusing on Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Aemedoust, Zahra; Ahmadnia, Shirin; Nafici, Nahal

doi:10.22034/jss.2025.2054941.1890

Women's Narratives of Encounter with Specialists in Healthcare Centers: Focusing on Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zahra Aemedoust ¹

Shirin Ahmadnia ²

Nahal Nafici ³

¹ M.A. in Cultural Studies. Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'I University, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'I University, Tehran, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Social Aceices, Allameh Tabatabaie University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22034/jss.2025.2054941.1890

Abstract

Women face various challenges in accessing sexual health services during the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. Considering the socio-cultural sensitivities surrounding sexual health, this study focuses on the experiences of Iranian women within the healthcare system, particularly concerning HPV infections.
Employing a qualitative approach, this study includes in-depth, semi-structured interviews with ten sexually active women from various Iranian provinces who were either infected or suspected of having an HPV infection, and had visited gynecologists. Purposive sampling was employed, and content analysis was used to analyze the collected data.
Three main themes and seven sub-themes emerged: (1) Challenges in dealing with the healthcare system, including sub-themes of "financial constraints" and "legal barriers"; (2) Physician-patient interactions, encompassing "patient preconceptions," "physician's approach," physician’s response," "patients expectations" and “secretary role”; (3) Importance of privacy and confidentiality were identified as the last theme.
The findings indicate that social stigma associated with HPV extends beyond individual interactions to healthcare systems. The identified barriers to accessing and utilizing sexual health services emphasize the need for policy reassessment in healthcare provision and a deeper understanding of the complex physician-patient dynamics, particularly in the context of HPV infections.

Keywords

Women

Access to Sexual Health Services

Physician-Patient Interaction

Human Papillomavirus

HPV

Vaccination

Sexually Transmitted Infections

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