Ascertaining the Religious Coping Strategies among Women Living with Cervical Cancer in the Greater Accra Region: A Case of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Cancer is a serious public health problem not only in Ghana but also worldwide, worsening in recent years as a result of growing population in developing countries such as Ghana (Nkyekyer, 2000). The World Health Organization (2017) defines cancer as a generic term for a large group of diseases characterized by the growth of abnormal cells beyond their usual boundaries that can invade adjoining parts of the body and/or spread to other organs. The cancer disease is different from other chronic diseases because its pathology usually leads to deformities, pain and mutilation which causes great psychological impact and negative feelings from the very time of diagnosis (Nakashima, Koifman, & Koifman, 2012). The key risk factor for infection is the exposure to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) types 16 and 18 shortly after becoming sexually active at an early age or having multiple sexual partners (