AWARENESS OF CERVICAL CANCER AND VACCINATION AGAINST HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS AMONG URBAN WOMEN

Sujata Banerjee, Yogesh R. Yadav, Pradnya Jadhav* and Sundaram Kartikeyan

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional interview-based descriptive study was conducted using convenience sampling on 568 married urban women with at least one living child to determine their awareness of cervical cancer and human papillomavirus vaccine. After explaining the purpose of the study to prospective respondents and obtaining their informed consent, a pre-tested and pre-validated questionnaire was used for interviewing the willing participants. The mean age of respondents was 26.79 +/- 6.51 years; they were married since 6.30 +/- 7.19 years with a mean parity of 1.80 +/- 1.01. 75.70% were Hindus, 74.29% lived in slums, 93.48% were homemakers and the self-reported monthly family income was between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000 for 42.78% of respondents. The educational attainment of 20.07% of respondents was 12th standard or higher. Only 06.34% were aware of cervical cancer, for whom the sources of information were health care personnel (13.89%), family and friends (27.78%) and the media (58.33%). 04.23% were aware of availability of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer but none of the respondents had taken the vaccine. Due to social stigma associated with the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus infection, awareness campaigns ought to educate the population at risk without causing panic.

Keywords: Awareness, Cervical cancer, Human papilloma vaccine, Urban women.