The Pap smear test is an efficient method of uterine cervical cancer prevention. For this prevention method to be effective, it is essential that the patient receives her results and satisfactorily concludes the treatment. This study aims to identify the motives which lead women not to return to receive the results of their Pap smear test. This is a descriptive research with a qualitative approach, carried out at a health centre in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. The study subjects are 21 women who underwent the Pap smear test and did not return to collect their results. The tool for data collection was a semi-structured telephone interview, held between September and November 2004. The results pointed to motives related to the patient, to the health professional delivering care and to the service offered.
women's health; cervix neoplasms; vaginal smears