Cervical cancer (CC) can be prevented and treated if detected early through regular screening. However, 88% of women aged 30 to 49 have never been screened in Tanzania. This study explored the facilitators and barriers to CC screening among women and healthcare providers in rural Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We used the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model to identify, code, and synthesize behavioral facilitators and barriers to screening. An exploratory study design was employed, and data were collected from 13th March to 1st October 2024 in rural Kilimanjaro’s districts. Purposive sampling was employed. Six focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with 54 women aged 30–50 years, including two groups of screened women, two with non-screened women, two groups combining screened and non-screened women, and twelve in-depth individual interviews with healthcare providers. Data were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed using QDA Miner Lite v2.0.8. Four main themes emerged: knowledge about CC and screening, the power of social influence, emotional and structural influences on CC screening, and enhancing CC screening uptake. The findings highlighted several barriers to CC screening, including limited knowledge, misconceptions, fear of pain and positive results, limited access to services, and a shortage of trained providers. Despite these challenges, social support from family, peers, community leaders, and healthcare providers’ educational efforts (physical and social opportunity) was identified as a strong facilitator. In conclusion, increasing CC screening uptake in rural communities requires targeted, theory-informed interventions incorporating education that enhance awareness, community engagement, strengthen social support, and improve health services.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The project on which this publication is based was part-funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) 01KA2220B under Research Networks for Health Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa (RHISSA). This research was funded in part by the Science for Africa Foundation to the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training, and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) program [Del-22-008] with support from the Wellcome Trust and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and is part of the EDCPT2 program supported by the European Union.

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The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

The study was conducted as per the Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association, 2013) and was approved by the KCMC University Research and Ethics Review Committee (Certificate No. 2642) and the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Tanzania (Certificate No. NIMR/HQ/R.8a/Vol. IX/4694).

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