Modesty Matters: Cultural Sensitivity and Cervical Cancer Prevention in Muslim Women in the United States

Muslim women represent a growing minority in the United States, and sensitivity to their cultural and religious values (modesty, in particular) is important, because lack of sensitivity to modesty is a barrier for Muslim women to obtain cervical cancer screening and prevention. This article presents current recommendations for screening, highlights the need for prevention strategies for children (e.g., HPV vaccination), addresses the limited amount of research on this population and suggests strategies to discuss and encourage cervical cancer screening and prevention among Muslim women.