Cultural barriers to healthcare in us hispanic population

Cultural Barriers to Healthcare
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Cultural Barriers to Healthcare: Screening and Prevention of Cervical Cancer
There is the perception that cultural barriers play a huge role when it comes to the process of screening and preventing cervical cancer among the Hispanic population of the US. The reason is that there are some things which these people do which makes them vulnerable to such ailments compared to other populations. These cultural barriers include social norms, cultural beliefs, and issues of fatalism. The role of this essay is to demystify on cultural barriers to health care present in the Hispanic population of the US.The provision of health care by nurses has increased in a diversified population of patients. The problem is created by the presence of cultural barriers which hinders the manner in which services are administrated to those in need, making it impossible to deliver quality care. Working with a diverse group presented by the Hispanic population of the US presents a huge barrier when it comes to providing healthcare services. These relate to the presence of different philosophies about disease causation and cure from the Hispanic populations. Most of these families have a tendency to rely on traditional modes of healing that are recognized as cultural points.
There are cases where Hispanic women experience high incidences of cervical cancer. These women present a scenario of severe cases of higher mortality rate in comparison with other populations.

The increasing growth in the minority group presented by Hispanic population signifies a critical perspective when it comes to the problem of cervical cancer in this group. Disproportionate higher cases of cervical cancer and increased mortality have been observed in Hispanic women. The issue of increased susceptibility to such an ailment is attributed to a case of low screening rates and inadequate follow-up procedures after results from abnormal cancer screening. If pre-cancerous wounds are identified on a patient, they can be prevented especially if detected early. For this reason, there is the need for regular screening for cervical cancer among other follow-up activities. From the current recommendations, there is the need for women between the age of 21-65 years to be screened regularly for cervical cancer. For those women between the age of 21-29 years, they should be screened with the use of a Pap test for every three years. For those women who are above 30 years, they should continue receiving Pap tests for every three years. Similarly, they should receive an additional test called HPV in every five years.
Cultural barriers in Hispanic population creates a huge challenge in accessing healthcare. These relate to social norms and cultural beliefs which affect the screening behaviors of cervical cancer. An example is the issue of fatalism, respect, and dignity which affect the process of screening. Hispanics women believe that there is the threat to their dignity in the screening process, thus becoming less likely in seeking cervical cancer screening. They may also feel concerned about the questions being asked, or they may feel that healthcare providers are disrespectful. They shy away from seeking assistance from screening making them fail to understand the usefulness of a screening test, fear of getting screening results, and also disregard any follow-up care as required. The issue of fatalism affects the process of screening for most Hispanics women consider that cervical cancer cannot be prevented.
Hispanics women are dissuaded from seeking cervical cancer tests from traditional gender roles which are attached to them. These are the requirements for women enduring suffering, remaining pure, and the need to remain obedient to their fellow men. Additionally, machismo is another contributor for women to fail to undergo screening. Under machismo, men are regarded as dominant figures and powerful people in the society. Such dynamism results in situations where Hispanics women are powerless in the relationships with their partners among their healthcare providers.
It can be seen that the presence of cultural barriers plays a huge role in the presence of cervical cancer to the Hispanic population of the US. A huge contribution of this is attributable to cultural beliefs, issues of fatalism, and social norms. These have contributed largely to the increased susceptibility to cervical cancer to this population.