Understanding first cervical screening experiences using narrative analysis of online blogs: a medical student perspective.

One in three women invited to their first cervical smear test in the United Kingdom do not attend. As a third-year medical student, I undertook a scholarly project module where I conducted narrative analysis of three blogs to understand the experiences of some women attending their first cervical smear. Three plots were drawn out of these narratives: the cervical smear as a rite-of-passage, the discrepancy between expectations and reality, and a collaborative approach to cervical screening.

Trust, autonomy and relationships: the help-seeking preferences of young people in secondary level schools in London (UK).

Help-seeking among young people is complicated, often determined vicariously by the ability of adults, family or professionals, to recognize, and respond to, their difficulties. We know very little about the complex concerns of teenage young people and how they impact on help-seeking preferences. We aimed to ascertain the help-seeking preferences for a range of mental health problems among adolescents attending schools in an inner-city area of London.