Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Cervical Cancer Screening

Abstract

Background: Cervical malignancy continues to pose a significant health issue worldwide, despite advances in prevention and treatment. Screening programs have proven effective in decreasing the incidence malignancy of cervix and its related mortality. However, the success of these programs relies heavily on individuals' knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the screening of the cervix malignancy. Objective: To determine the knowledge and attitude of cervical cancer screening in women attending outpatient department at Gynae Unit 1, Civil Hospital, Karachi. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Settings: Study was conducted at Department of Gynecology, Civil Hospital Karachi Pakistan. Duration: Six months after approval of synopsis from 08-06-21 till 08-12-21. Methods: Data collection involved administering structured questionnaires designed to assess participants' knowledge regarding cervical cancer, their attitudes toward screening, and their actual practices related to undergoing screening procedures. The questionnaire items were developed based on established guidelines and previous literature on cervical cancer screening. Trained interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews with the participants to ensure clarity and accuracy in responses. Results: Mean age in our study was 37.14±4.49 years. Among the 71 women surveyed, the majority of the women 63.38%, lacked adequate knowledge regarding cervical cancer screening, while only 36.62% had adequate knowledge. Additionally, in terms of attitude, only 16.90% of the women showed a positive attitude, while the majority, accounting for 83.10%, had a negative attitude. Conclusion: The study findings indicated that the majority of women showed limited awareness and a negative attitude towards screening of the cervix cancer. Lack of awareness seems to be a significant factor contributing to this negativity. Improving awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer and its screening programs could potentially encourage women to engage in proactive screening behaviors.