[The role of family planning units in the prevention of female XXXX ].

@entity1 @entity975 @entity5
1000 @entity1 selected randomly in the Italian provinces of Roma and Latina were given a questionnaire seeking information on age, occupation, oral contraceptive (OC) use, self-examination of the breasts, frequency of visits to clinics and @entity975 test, parity, and family history of @entity5 . 98% of the @entity1 were familiar with the services offered by family planning (FP) units. 786 questionnaires were analyzed. 80% of the subjects were 35 years old: the 21-25 age group was most prevalent. 40% were employed, the rest were housewives or retired (according to official statistics in 1984 only 25.9% of @entity1 were employed). Visits to the gynecologist increased with advancing age but proved to be inadequate for prevention even in the age segment most at risk of acquiring @entity5 (p .05). @entity1 who stayed at home were most likely to have regular gynecological checkups and @entity975 tests. 24% of @entity1 answered in the affirmative about self-examination of the breasts, and the 26-30 age group was most interested in it. 31% of housewives also practiced it, compared to only 10% of those who worked (p .01). OC use was most prevalent in the 26-30 age group (over 30%), while those 35 and under 20 neglected its use. FP units play an important role in oncological prevention by observing cultural and social aspects of @entity1 's lives and by adapting preventive programs accordingly.
