The emotional consequences of false positive mammography: African-Americanwomen's reactions in their own words

High false positive rates associated with screening for breast cancer in th e United States have an unintended psychological consequence for women (Ler man et al., 1991) that has raised concerns in recent years (Sox, 1998). Thi s study uses inductive qualitative analysis of open-ended interviews with 4 5 African American women living in New York City who were part of a larger study of women and their experiences after receiving an abnormal mammogram. Themes resulting from the analyses included: inadequate provider-patient c ommunication, anxieties exacerbated by waiting and wondering, and fears of iatrogenic effects of follow-up tests such as biopsies and repeat mammogram s. While more research is needed on message-framing strategies for women en tering mammographic testing and follow-up, modest changes in service de-liv ery such as improved medical communication can help to alleviate fears and enhance trust. (C) 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.