Authors : Fasiha Tasneem, Vijayalakshmi Shanbhag
DOI : 10.18231/2394-2754.2019.0003
Volume : 6
Issue : 1
Year : 2019
Page No : 15-19
Introduction: Invasive cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, but 80% of cases occur in developing countries. If detected early cervical cancer is usually curable. The papanicolaou smear is a reliable, inexpensive and effective screening test for cervical cancer. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practice of women in Nanded towards pap smear, barriers for their participation in the screening and also relationship between the knowledge, attitudes and practices.
Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on 200 outpatient married women attending outpatient department in Dr. SCGMC, Nanded, a rural tertiary health care center in Maharashtra, India.
Results and Observations: In our study done on rural population only 44% had heard about pap smear and 35% had got pap smear taken at least once, but 70% of the patients were ready to get pap smear done upon explaining about pap smear. Only 11% knew that cancer cervix could be detected before onset of symptoms and 100% were of the opinion that cancer cervix awareness program has to be conducted.
Conclusion: Clearly there is a need for reformations at the grassroot level to have an appeal to the people of rural areas to help them utilize the screening tests available for early detection and treatment of the deadly disease like cancer which shows a higher prevalence in the people of rural areas with lower educational level and low socio-economic status.
Keywords: Cancer cervix, Pap smear, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice.