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Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... 2016Despite the established role of the Pap smear test (PST) in prevention and early detection of cervical cancer, it is still rarely practiced in Sudan. Many challenges...
BACKGROUND
Despite the established role of the Pap smear test (PST) in prevention and early detection of cervical cancer, it is still rarely practiced in Sudan. Many challenges hinder the establishment of an effective cervical cancer screening program, including socio-cultural factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Sudanese women with regard to the Pap smear test and cervical cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 500 married women aged 14 to 58 years were recruited from obstetric clinics, hospitals and universities in Khartoum in 2014. Data were collected using a standardized, pretested questionnaire that inquired socio-demographic characteristics and their KAP about cervical cancer and the PST.
RESULTS
More than 52% of participating women were above 30 years of age, and the majority (78.8%) were university degree holders. A total of 486 (97.2 %) of participants were resident in urban areas of Khartoum State. However about 48% of the respondents had never heard about PST, and only 15.8% of the participants had undergone a Pap smear test previously; 46.6% (233/500) knew that the human papilloma virus (HPV) was the causative agent, but only 39.2% (196/500) had heard about HPV vaccination, and only 11.4% (57/500) had received the vaccine. However 68% of the respondents agreed to do Pap smear if properly informed about the test and 75.4% of the respondents agreed to participate in a cervical cancer screening program.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite a high educational level, less than half of our participants had accurate knowledge about cervical cancer, HPV, and cervical cancer screening. Health education about cervical cancer, HPV and sexually transmitted infections and the role of PST in cervical cancer prevention are crucial when designing interventions aimed at improving cervical cancer screening for Sudanese women.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomaviridae; Papillomavirus Infections; Papillomavirus Vaccines; Prognosis; Sudan; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaccination; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 26925654
DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2016.17.2.625 -
PloS One 2012Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women in developing countries. A key factor linked to the relatively high levels of cervical cancer in these...
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women in developing countries. A key factor linked to the relatively high levels of cervical cancer in these populations is the lack of awareness and access to preventive methods. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness of cervical cancer and Papanicolaou test (Pap smear test) and factors associated with the utilization of Pap test among female civil servants in Jos. Data was obtained from female workers (n = 388) aged 18-65 years in a Nigerian Federal establishment. Participants were randomly approached and instructed to complete validated questionnaires. Data was analyzed using Chi-square, t-tests and logistic regression analysis to determine if there was an association between variables and identify any predictors of awareness and utilization of the Pap test. Cervical cancer and Pap smear test awareness was 50.9% and 38.6% respectively, with the media as the major source of information. Pap smear test utilization rate was 10.2%, with routine antenatal care (ANC) as the major reason for getting screened. Personal barriers to screening include the lack of awareness, and belief that cervical cancer is not preventable. Opportunistic screening, mass media campaigns and ANC education were suggested as ways of improving awareness and utilization of cervical cancer screening services.
Topics: Adult; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Logistic Models; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Nigeria; Papanicolaou Test; Surveys and Questionnaires; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 23049708
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046583 -
Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem 2023to identify, map and describe characteristics of educational interventions for cervical cancer prevention in adult women. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
to identify, map and describe characteristics of educational interventions for cervical cancer prevention in adult women.
METHODS
a scoping review conducted on eleven databases and the gray literature, including studies that described educational interventions aimed at preventing cervical cancer in adult women.
RESULTS
thirty-three articles with 151,457 participants were analyzed. The most used educational strategies were participatory discussions and educational leaflets. Most of the interventions took place in a single session, ranging from 40 to 60 minutes. The most used theoretical model in interventions to improve women's compliance with Pap smear was the Health Belief Model.
CONCLUSIONS
group discussions, lectures and educational brochures can increase knowledge and reduce barriers to cervical cancer prevention. Theory-based and culturally sensitive interventions can have a positive impact on women's health.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Papanicolaou Test; Patient Acceptance of Health Care
PubMed: 38018622
DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2023-0018 -
British Journal of Cancer Jul 2011Most women with cervical cancer have not participated in Pap-smear screening. Self-sampling of vaginal fluid in combination with high-risk HPV testing may be a method to... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Most women with cervical cancer have not participated in Pap-smear screening. Self-sampling of vaginal fluid in combination with high-risk HPV testing may be a method to increase the attendance rate.
METHODS
A total of 4060 women, 39-60 years old, who had not attended the organised Pap-smear screening for 6 years or more were randomised into two equal groups. A study group was offered to self-sample vaginal fluid (Qvintip) at home and/or recommended to attend the Pap-smear screening. The collected fluid after self-sampling was examined for the presence of high-risk HPV (Hybrid Capture 2 method). Controls were only recommended to attend the Pap-smear screening. The end point was a histological identification of CIN2-3.
RESULTS
The participation rate was 39% (771 out of 2000) in the self-sampling group and 9% (188 out of 2060) in the conventional cytology (P<0.001). The number of histological CIN2-3 alterations detected was 0.4% (8 out of 2000) among women offered self-sampling of vaginal fluid and 0.07% (3 out of 4060) in women offered Pap-smears. The odds ratio (OR) for offering self-sampling and HPV testing instead of Pap-smear screening for detection of CIN2-3 was OR=5.42 (95% CI: 1.30-31.8).
CONCLUSION
Offering self-sampling of vaginal fluid followed by a high-risk HPV test was considerably more effective for detection of histological CIN2-3 lesions in comparison with offering Pap-test in a midwife reception in women not regularly attending organised screening.
Topics: Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomaviridae; Papillomavirus Infections; Specimen Handling; Vaginal Smears; Uterine Cervical Dysplasia
PubMed: 21730977
DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2011.236 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Mar 2020We examined the effectiveness of a health education program to improve; knowledge and attitude towards cervical cancer and Pap smear, and uptake of Pap smear test among... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effectiveness of a health education program to improve; knowledge and attitude towards cervical cancer and Pap smear, and uptake of Pap smear test among female entrepreneurs in Kedah, a northern state of Malaysia.
METHODS
This controlled community trial involved 210 women from the districts of Alor Setar and Sungai Petani. Simple random sampling was applied to select 105 women from each district. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information about the variables of interest. Health education intervention program included educational talk, demo video, experience sharing, pamphlet distribution, and text message reminders. Evaluation of outcomes was performed twice. The text message reminders acted as the cues to action that were sent between the two evaluation times at one-month interval. Women in the control group received educational talk alone. In the control group, evaluation of outcomes was done only once, which was one month after the educational talk.
RESULTS
Knowledge on cervical cancer and Pap smear, and attitude towards Pap smear among women in both intervention and control group improved significantly at Evaluation stage 1. However, no further improvements were observed in the intervention group at Evaluation stage 2. The uptake of Pap smear in the intervention group increased significantly from 48.0% at Baseline to 68.0% at Evaluation stage 1 (P<0.001), and from 68.0% to 79.0% at Evaluation stage 2 (P<0.001). A significant increase in Pap smear uptake was also seen in the control group from 63.0% at Baseline to 76.0% at Evaluation stage 1 (P=0.003).
CONCLUSIONS
Educational talk alone was effective in improving knowledge on cervical cancer and Pap smear, attitude towards the test, and the actual uptake of the test. However, text reminders were more effective than having an educational talk alone in increasing uptake of Pap smear test among participants.
.Topics: Adult; Aged; Attitude to Health; Female; Health Education; Health Promotion; Humans; Malaysia; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Young Adult
PubMed: 32212817
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.3.853 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... 2010Cervical cancer, very common in females of the developing world, has a long premalignant period. Primary and secondary prevention can reduce the incidence. The Pap smear...
BACKGROUND
Cervical cancer, very common in females of the developing world, has a long premalignant period. Primary and secondary prevention can reduce the incidence. The Pap smear is the main screening modality in Thailand but the coverage is rather poor.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of medical workers in Naresuan university hospital who met the WHO guidelines for screening.
METHODS
A questionnaire covering general characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices about cervical cancer screening was administered and the data obtained were analyzed with SPSS version 16.
RESULTS
The majority of the 78 included participants were nurses with an education mostly more than diploma level. Knowledge about the importance of the Pap smear, early detection and the treatment of early stage cervical cancer was adequate (90.9 % and 81.6%, respectively) but awarness of cervical cancer risk factors was quite low. The most frequent reasons for avoiding Pap smear screening were fear of vaginal examination (27.6%), embarrassment (26.3%), lack of any symptoms (22.4%) and being busy (17%).
CONCLUSION
The Pap smear is appropriate for detection of premalignant lesions of cervical cancer in Thailand but the coverage is still low. Although this study was performed with medical workers, their compliance with screening recommendations was still low. If we can improve the knowledge and attitudes about Pap smear cervical cancer screening in such experts, they should be able to readily provide appropriate and accurate information to the population to motivate the general population to join screening programs.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Hospitals, University; Humans; Medical Staff, Hospital; Papanicolaou Test; Prognosis; Thailand; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 21338223
DOI: No ID Found -
Medicine Nov 2021This study aimed to evaluate the emotional path, impact on everyday life, and adequacy of patient education throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic journey of women...
This study aimed to evaluate the emotional path, impact on everyday life, and adequacy of patient education throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic journey of women who received a positive human papillomavirus (HPV) test or Pap smear result.An online survey was designed to determine the demographic characteristics, dominant feelings throughout the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, major lifestyle changes, impact on social life, and perceived adequacy of patient information in Italian women with a positive HPV test or abnormal cervical cytology result. In this study, the phases of the "patient's journey" included the initial test, waiting for colposcopy or biopsy, waiting for surgery, and follow-up.Anxiety, worry, and fear were the most frequently cited emotions during the initial tests and intervals between procedures. Anxiety and fear gradually decreased during the journey until surgery, and higher levels of optimism were observed postsurgery. The most frequently reported lifestyle changes were attempts to boost the immune system, increased precautions in sexual practices, and dietary changes. Social life is affected by changes in sexual and intimate relationships with partners. Women reported receiving insufficient patient education on the diagnosis and its implications, progression, management, personal care, and resolution.Significant attention should be given to the psychosocial aspects of the entire patient journey after receiving a positive HPV test or an abnormal Pap smear result. It is essential to establish a good rapport between patients and healthcare professionals, and to educate women regarding the condition by minimizing the gap between the perceived and desired adequacy of information.
Topics: Alphapapillomavirus; Anxiety; Female; Humans; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomaviridae; Papillomavirus Infections; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Uterine Cervical Dysplasia
PubMed: 34766557
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000027177 -
Journal of Women's Health (2002) Oct 2017It has been reported that Pap smear use is higher among U.S. women who received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine than unvaccinated women. This study assessed the...
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that Pap smear use is higher among U.S. women who received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine than unvaccinated women. This study assessed the role of provider and patient in the difference of Pap smear use by vaccination status.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 5416 young women (21-30 years of age) with detailed information on Pap smear use and HPV vaccination status from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2013-2015. Vaccinated women received at least one dose of HPV vaccine. Main outcomes included Pap smear in the past year, provider's recommendation for Pap smear, and patient-initiated Pap smear.
RESULTS
The prevalence of Pap smear in the past year was much higher among vaccinated women than unvaccinated women (67.5% vs. 52.8%, p < 0.001). Compared with unvaccinated women, vaccinated women were more likely to receive a provider's recommendation for Pap testing (60.8% vs. 50.8%, p < 0.001), to obtain Pap testing after receiving a provider's recommendation (75.1% vs. 67.9%, p = 0.004), and to initiate Pap testing themselves (57.7% vs. 38.2%, p < 0.001). However, among women who visited an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) in the past year, the positive association between HPV vaccination and Pap smear recommendation and uptake vanished.
CONCLUSIONS
Unvaccinated women who have not visited an OB/GYN in the past year are less likely to receive a recommendation for Pap testing from their providers or to initiate Pap testing themselves without a provider's recommendation. They should be encouraged to visit an OB/GYN provider for cervical cancer screening.
Topics: Adult; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Guideline Adherence; Health Care Surveys; Humans; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomavirus Infections; Papillomavirus Vaccines; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; United States; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaccination; Vaginal Smears; Young Adult
PubMed: 28841084
DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2017.6424 -
International Journal of Cancer Jun 2008We conducted a population-based cohort study to evaluate the complementary value of HPV testing to Papanicolaou (Pap) smear and the prevalence and genotype distribution...
We conducted a population-based cohort study to evaluate the complementary value of HPV testing to Papanicolaou (Pap) smear and the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV in Taiwan. In this report, we described the design of the whole study and analyzed the cross-sectional results. Female residents (age >or= 30 years) of Taoyuan, Taiwan were invited. After signing informed consent, every participant had a Pap smear and a HPV testing. Patients with Pap >or= atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (Group I) or those with HPV-positive but normal cytology (Group II) were referred for a colposcopic examination. A total of 10,014 women were eligible. The overall HPV prevalence was 10.8% (95% confidence interval 10.5%-11.4%) in the study population. A total of 37 types of HPV were identified and the leading three were HPV-52, -18 and -58. There was a significant positive correlation of HPV prevalence with older age, postmenopausal status, current-user of oral contraceptives and never-user of hormone replacement therapy. Past users of oral contraceptives and never users of Pap were associated with higher risk of abnormal Pap, while age 40-49 strata had lower risk. Fifty-nine cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 from Group I and additional 11 from Group II were identified. The improvement of sensitivity with additional HPV testing was 15.3%. Besides, no specific subgroup was found to most benefit from the combined strategy. The value of adding HPV test to conventional Pap smear has to be evaluated after longer-term follow-up of this population-based cohort.
Topics: Adult; Cohort Studies; DNA, Viral; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Papanicolaou Test; Papillomaviridae; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 18338752
DOI: 10.1002/ijc.23441 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... 2007As part of an ongoing project involving a large cohort in the Khon Kaen Province in the North-east of Thailand, a total of 236 women who had tested positive for a Pap... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
As part of an ongoing project involving a large cohort in the Khon Kaen Province in the North-east of Thailand, a total of 236 women who had tested positive for a Pap smear at the initial recruitment and advised to seek medical attention were followed up after a mean period of 3.1 years. The 204 individuals who could be contacted were interviewed to determine treatments received and underwent a further Pap smear as well as colposcopy in 179 of the cases. On clinical advice, biopsies were also taken from 32 of these. Only 15% of the total of 204 had actually received therapy, the majority undergoing surgery (self-reported). Possible positive Pap smear results were obtained for 23.5%, with 6.4% having high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSILs) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (one case). Comparison of the different testing modalities demonstrated 5.6% false negatives and 16.2 false positives for the Pap smear with colposcopy as the gold standard. Compared with biopsy findings, there were 21.8% and 40.6% false positives with Pap and colposcopy, respectively, but no false negatives. The present results point to good efficacy for the initial screening, since only 0.5% of the total population developed an SCC. However, judgement as to therapy should depend on a biopsy since there were considerable false positives with the other two modalities employed.
Topics: Biopsy; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cervix Uteri; Colposcopy; Diagnostic Techniques, Obstetrical and Gynecological; False Positive Reactions; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Mass Screening; Papanicolaou Test; Thailand; Uterine Cervical Dysplasia; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 17477788
DOI: No ID Found