A Study on the Awareness and Utilization of Pap Smear Among Female Health Workers in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Abstract

The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey using self-administered questionnaires on female doctors, nurses and pharmacists in University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja. Knowledge about cervical cancer and practices regarding Pap smear as a screening method was tested. The results obtained showed that 13% of the respondents had their sexual debut (coitarche) before the age of 20 years and 35.5% of them had multiple sexual partners. (90%) were aware of the disease, cervical cancer and most (90%) knew the symptoms and signs of cervical cancer and also ways of preventing it. However, 58% had adequate knowledge of the risk factors for cervical cancer. 97.5% of the female health workers were aware of the Pap smear as a screening test for cervical cancer but most of them (76.5%) had never done it before. The medical doctors showed the highest level of awareness about Pap test (100%) and the least aware were the pharmacists (71.4%). When contrasted, Pap smear awareness and utilization, there was no correlation between Pap test utilization and Pap smear awareness (Pearson’s correlation 0.96, P<0.05) as only 24.1% of people who were aware had done a pap smear test. There were multiple reasons given by respondents for not having had a Pap test. The majority, (40%) had no reason and (30.9%) had not thought about it. The medical literature and seminars were the most cited sources of information about Pap smear. Medical doctors were the commonest source of information for the doctors while the nurses got their information mostly from medical literature and seminars. The majority (72.1%) of the respondents suggested that more education at the place of work would help improve the knowledge on cervical cancer and 32% suggested the use of mass media in addition so as to impact both themselves and women in the society. On measures that would help increase participation, 40.5% suggested that the pap smear test be offered at no cost.