CERVICAL CANCER AND ITS SCREENING: KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICES OF SCREENING AND VACCINATION AMONG SELECTED WOMEN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN HOSPITALS OF KOLKATA, INDIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37557/gjphm.v5i2.217Keywords:
Cervical cancer, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Screening, Papanicolaou (PAP) test, HPV test, knowledgeAbstract
Introduction: Cervical cancer is a major killer among women in less developed countries. It is a
preventable disease if screened regularly and women are vaccinated. But late detection leads to poor
outcomes and morbidity. The objective was to assess knowledge about Cervical cancer and its
practices of screening and vaccination among women health care professionals. Methods: It was a
descriptive, cross-sectional survey carried out through an online questionnaire among women
healthcare professionals of 21-65 years in various hospitals in Kolkata city, India. Results: 72% (203)
Participants had good knowledge, 19%(54) have moderate and 9%(25) had poor knowledge about
Cervical cancer, its screening tests, and high-risk factors. Only 34(12.4%) had been completely
vaccinated against Human papillomavirus (HPV). Also, 189(67%) women in this group never had a
Papanicolaou (PAP) test. Conclusion: Most of the women had good knowledge about Cervical cancer,
practices of screening and vaccination, but had not undergone screening or vaccination. A positive
uptake towards Cervical cancer screening and vaccination protocols for themselves shall help them in
better health promotion towards their clientele. More emphasis needs to be paid to disseminating health
information and the importance of screening and vaccination. We need to recognize the need to include
the HPV vaccine in the National Immunization Schedule. HPV vaccination and HPV-based PAP
screening have the potential to reduce Cervical cancer incidence in the coming decades if implemented
on a global basis.
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Copyright (c) 2023 madhulima saha, Singh Suneeta, Kumari Vandana, Afifa Ahamed
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