Assessment of Knowledge on Cervical Cancer among Women with a View to Develop Information Booklet

Abstract

Introduction Cervical cancer manifests in the cervix cells, the lower part of the uterus connecting to the vagina. Similar to other cancers, the exact cause of cervical cancer remains uncertain and idiopathic. However, it is established that the human papilloma virus plays a significant role in initiating cellular changes in the cervix. In India, the lack of cancer awareness and screening facilities results in many women presenting at an advanced and deadly stage of the disease, negatively impacting their prognosis and clinical outcomes. Methods A total of 255 women aged between 18 and 45 years, who were either patients or accompanying bystanders at a tertiary care hospital, were selected using purposive sampling technique. Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics were used to represent the sociodemographic characteristics levels. Association of sociodemographic variables levels is determined using chi-squared test. Results The mean age of the participants was 31.83 ± 6.83 years, majority (162 [63.5%]) were living in a rural area, most (175 [68.6%]) of the participants were married, majority (254 [99.6%]) of the subjects were not having any family history of cervical cancer, most (202 [79.2%]) of the participants were having a single sexual partner, majority (108 [42.4%]) were not having any information on cervical cancer, most (134 [52.5%]) of the participants were unaware of cervical cancer screening, 39 (15.3%) were aware but delaying, 26 (10.2%) were aware, 17 (6.7%) were aware but not decided to do, 16 (6.3%) were aware but undecided, and 21 (8.2%) were in “others” category. Conclusion Although women are having good knowledge and positive attitude toward cervical cancer screening and prevention, still there is a gap to transform it into practice. There is a need for more educational programs to connect identified knowledge slits and uplift regular practice of cervical cancer screening.