Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Cervical cancer ranks fourth in the list of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women in the country. Incidence rates per 100 000 population has been significantly decreasing over the past decade, however coverage rates with screening of the target population remains low. Study aimed to determine knowledge, attitude and practice of the target population regarding CCS screening and vaccination against HPV infection.
METHODS: Cross-sectional survey was conducted in the capital city. Study subjects were selected randomly among women in the state and private schools using the criteria: women of the ages 20-60 and having a daughter of the HPV vaccination ages. Semi-structured questionnaire was posted in the website of the ministry of education in the google-doc format. Univariate analysis was performed. Statistical significance of the results was set up at p<0.05.
RESULTS: 188 women were selected randomly in 36 state and private schools. Study revealed significant discrepancy between the knowledge level (82.4%) on the prevention of HPV infection and its application to practice: every third woman did not know the cervical cancer screening age criteria; only 51.1% had taken screening test for the past 3 years at the moment of the interview; 67.0% knew that HPV causes cancer but 67.9% of parents did not vaccinate their children against HPV. Over a half of the study subjects (53.4%) mentioned that their doctors did not talk to them about the importance of screening and vaccination. Participants’ education level did not correlate with their knowledge level (p=0.8).
CONCLUSIONS: 1. Raising awareness campaigns should be carried with the active engagement of family physicians; 2. A population-based descriptive study is needed to implement throughout the country to determine availability and accessibility and other possible factors of the low coverage with screening and HPV vaccination of the target populations.