Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake and HPV Vaccine Awareness in Reproductive-Age Women A cross-sectional study

Original Article

Abstract

Background: Globally, persistent high-risk HPV infection is the primary cause of cervical cancer, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women. Regular screening and prevention of the disease by vaccination against HPV helps to reduce the disease burden to a considerable extent.

Objective: To examine practice of screening cervical cancer, understanding of HPV vaccination and its uptake, and factors that affect preventive behavior among women of reproductive age.

 Methods: 100 reproductive-age women (15-49 years) were observed to participate in a cross-sectional study in an outpatient clinic. Structured questionnaires with sociodemographic information, screening history and knowledge of HPV vaccination were used to collect data. Frequencies and percentages were analyzed by descriptive statistics, and associations were evaluated using chi-square tests and logistic regression. All participants had their ethical approval and informed consent. The analyses of the data were conducted with SPSS version 24.

 Results: 100 women aged 32.5 +- 6.8 years took part in the study. On the whole, 45 per cent had had a cervical cancer screening test, and 28 per cent had heard about the HPV vaccination and only 15 per cent had been vaccinated. Women with greater educational attainment (p=0.01) and frequent health care utilization (p=0.02) had a greater screening uptake. The most significant obstacles were the unawareness (52 percent), fear of the process (30 percent), and the price (18 percent). Females who had this prior knowledge with HPV were more likely to accept vaccination (p=0.03). These results indicate that there are significant loopholes in preventive measures amongst women of reproductive age.

 Conclusion: Cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination uptake have not yet reached optimal levels in women of reproductive age with considerable knowledge gaps and barriers pertaining to awareness, affordability, and health care access. Specific educational programs and easy screening activities as well as free vaccination measures are necessary to enhance preventive strategies. Engagement of healthcare providers and community-focused interventions will strengthen engagement and facilitate preventing and detecting early cervical cancer, reducing the occurrence of cervical cancer and improving reproductive health outcomes among the population.