The Travellers Community
Travellers in Ireland can face discrimination, fear, or discomfort when engaging with Health Care Providers. Navigating this can be challenging, but there are supports and practical steps that can help. Negative past experiences should not stop you from attending cervical screening as it could save your life.
Common challenges
- Past negative experiences with healthcare services
- Fear of judgement or being treated unfairly
- Lack of trust in the health system
- Low health literacy or unclear information
- Practical barriers such as transport, appointment systems, or childcare
Ways Travellers can navigate and reduce discrimination
- Use Traveller-specific supports
- Traveller Primary Health Care (PHC) Projects support Travellers to access health services.
- Traveller health workers can help with:
- Booking appointments
- Explaining what cervical screening involves
- Attending appointments for support if needed
- Ask for respectful care
- Travellers have the same right to safe, respectful, and non-discriminatory healthcare as anyone else.
- It is okay to ask:
- For a female smear taker
- For extra time or explanations
- Questions before or during the appointment
- Bring a trusted person
- Attending with a family member, friend, or Traveller health worker can provide reassurance and advocacy.
- Use GP practices familiar with Traveller health
- Some GP practices and clinics have experience working with Traveller communities and offer more culturally sensitive care.
- Traveller organisations can recommend supportive services locally.
- Know your rights
- Discrimination in healthcare is not acceptable.
- If someone feels they were treated unfairly, they can:
- Raise concerns with the GP practice
- Contact the HSE
- Seek support from organisations such as Pavee Point or local Traveller advocacy groups
- Ask about future options
- If self-sampling becomes available in Ireland, it may offer Traveller alternative for those who find clinic-based screening stressful.
Conclusion
Travellers in Ireland can sometimes feel worried or uncomfortable when going for cervical screening because of past experiences of discrimination or unfair treatment. This can make it hard to attend appointments.
There are supports that can help Travellers feel safer and more confident when going for screening.
Traveller Primary Health Care (PHC) Projects can help by explaining what cervical screening is, booking appointments, and offering support on the day. A Traveller health worker may also attend the appointment for support if wanted.
Travellers have the right to be treated with respect in healthcare. It is okay to ask for a female nurse or doctor, to ask questions, or to ask for more time during the appointment.
Some people feel more comfortable bringing a trusted person, such as a family member, friend, or Traveller health worker, to the appointment.
Some GP practices have experience working with Traveller communities and may offer more understanding and respectful care. Traveller organisations can help identify these services.
Discrimination in healthcare is not acceptable. If someone feels they were treated unfairly, they can ask for help from the GP practice, the HSE, or Traveller support organisations such as Pavee Point.
In the future, self-sampling may offer another option for cervical screening. This could help people who feel uncomfortable attending a clinic.