Title: Awareness of HPV, Cervical Cancer and Preventive Measures: A Questionnaire survey from Hyderabad, India
Authors: A Ashwini, Nagavalli Sreerangam, N.V.R.Murty, K Aparna
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v4i3.08
Aim:This study aimed to cross-sectionally examine women’s' awareness and understanding of HPV infection, its role in causing cervical cancer and preventative measures available in an urban Indian setting. Methodology:A convenience sample of 1000 women (between 20 and 50 years of age) who attended the Gynecology OP department of an urban general hospital in Hyderabad, India was invited to complete a questionnaire survey. The29-item knowledge and attitudes questionnaire assessed subjects' awareness of HPV infection, its relationship to cervical cancer and the availability & use of cervical smears and vaccines to prevent the same. The data was systematically collated and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results & Conclusions:Only 31.9% of the sample had an awareness of HPV infections. Most of those who had this awareness, knew that it could cause cancer but only a fifth knew that HPV was transmitted sexually. Less than a third had some awareness of cervical screening and only 25% knew about HPV vaccination. 62% of the subjects were prepared to undergo cervical screening, with the remaining refusing due to cost, embarrassment, fear or pain. Finally, awareness was mainly obtained through various media sources, and was higher amongst subjects who were more literate and from upper socio-economic backgrounds. The implications of these findings to focusing and planning public awareness campaigns- perhaps through the use of media resources is discussed. 1. Al-Dubai SAR, Alshagga MA, Al-Naggar RA, Al-Jashamy K, Baobaid MF, Tuang CP, Kadir SYA. Knowledge, attitudes and barriers for human papilloma virus (hpv) vaccines among Malaysian women. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2010, 11:887-892 2. Ali SF, Ayub S, Manzoor NF, Azim S, Afif M, et al. Knowledge and Awareness about Cervical Cancer and Its Prevention amongst Interns and Nursing Staff in Tertiary Care Hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. PloS ONE; 2010: 5(6): e11059. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011059 3. Aswathy S, Quereshi MA, Kurian B, and K. Leelamoni. Cervical cancer screening: Current knowledge & practice among women in a rural population of Kerala, India. Indian J Med Res. 2012; 136(2): 205–210. 4. Chan ZC, Chan TS, Ng KK, Wong ML. A systematic review of literature about women's knowledge and attitudes toward human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Public Health Nursing 2012; 29(6): 481-489. 5. Chao, C., Slezak, J. M., Coleman, K. J., & Jacobsen, S. J. Papanicolaou screening behavior in mothers and human papilloma virus vaccine uptake in adolescent girls. American Journal of Public Health 2009; 99(6), 1137–1142. 6. Conroy, K., Rosenthal, S. L., Zimet, G. D., Jin, Y., Bernstein, D. I., Glynn, S., et al. Human papillomavirus vaccine uptake, predictors of vaccination, and self-reported barriers to vaccination. Journal of Women’s Health 2009; 18(10), 1679–1686. 7. Hughes, C. Cervical cancer: Prevention, diagnosis, treatment and nursing care. Nursing Standard 2009; 23(27), 48–56. 8. Imam SZ, Rehman F, Zeeshan MM, Maqsood B, Asrar S, Fatima N, Aslam F, Khawaja MR. Perceptions and practices of a pakistani population regarding cervical cancer screening. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2008;9:42–44. 9. Lenselink CH, Gerrits MM, Melchers WJ, Massuger LF, van Hamont D, Bekkers RL. Parental acceptance of Human Papillomavirus vaccines. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2008 Mar;137(1):103-7. 10. Marlow, L. A. V., Waller, J., & Wardle, J. Parental attitudes to pre-pubertal HPV vaccination. 2007;Vaccine, 25(11), 1945–1952. 11. Marshall, H., Ryan, P., Roberton, D., & Baghurst, P. A cross-sectional survey to assess community attitudes to introduction of human papillomavirus vaccine. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2007; 31(3), 235–242. 12. Rama CH, Villa LL, Pagliusi S, Andreoli MA, Costa MC, Aoki AL, Longatto-Filho A, Eluf-Neto J Awareness and knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer, and vaccines in young women after first delivery in São Paulo, Brazil – a cross-sectional study. BMC Women’s Health 2010, 10: 35 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6874/10/35 13. Wong, L. P. Preventing cervical cancer through human papilloma virus vaccination: Perspective from focus groups. Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, 2009; 13(2), 85–93. 14. Wong MC, Lee A, Ngai KL, Chor JC, Chan PK. Knowledge, attitude, practice and barriers on vaccination against human papillomavirus infection: a cross-sectional study among primary care physicians in Hong Kong. PLoS One. 2013 Aug 21; 8(8). 15. Zimet GD. Understanding and overcoming barriers to human papillomavirus vaccine acceptance. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2006 Feb;18 Suppl 1:s23-8.Abstract
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