LACK OF AWARENESS AMONG THE CANDIDATE FEMALES HINDERS CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING; A COHORT STUDY FROM PERADENIYA AND KANDY TEACHING HOSPITAL

Background Cervical cancer (CC) is the second leading type of female cancer in Sri Lanka. Unawareness of risk factors, prevention methods and socio-economic-cultural factors hinder women in participating in current day screening programs. The study intended to assess factors related to uptake of women in to cervical cancer screening using a cohort of gynecology clinic attendees. Materials and Methods A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted on a purposively sampled 150 women attending outpatient gynecology clinics at the Teaching Hospitals in Kandy and Peradeniya. Knowledge, attitude and practices related to cervical cancer screening and prevention were assessed through a self-administered, structured and pre-tested questionnaire and statistically analyzed using the SPSS software. Results Among 150 women participated, only 48 % of the women have had the test previously at least once. Age of the women, parity, marital status, awareness of Pap test, overall knowledge and practices on cervical cancer screening and risk factors were significantly (p<0.01) related with Pap smear test uptake in the cohort. Overall knowledge on the cervical cancers, screening and prevention were significant predictors of screening uptake in the study cohort. Women who have heard about Pap test previously were 6 times more likely to participate in CC screening than those who had not heard about the test. Conclusion Low uptake of cervical cancer screening is mainly caused by lack of awareness about the disease, risk factors and preventative measures. Mass media and health care workers can play vital roles in raising awareness on cervical cancer screening and prevention among the public.