Assessment of the Knowledge and Attitude of Female Students towards Cervical Cancer Prevention at an International University in Japan

Nader Ghotbi,Akane Anai

doi:10.7314/apjcp.2012.13.3.897

Abstract

Cervical cancer resulting from prior infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is a significant public health threat against young Japanese women. A national immunization plan to vaccinate 13~16 year old female students against HPV infection has been started in Japan since 2010, and may reach almost full coverage by the end of 2012. Older age females who may already be sexually active are not targeted by this plan but should follow safer sex practices as well as periodic screening of the cervix cytology to reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer. HPV vaccination alone does not offer full protection either, because only some HPV types are covered by the vaccines and the long-term efficacy of the vaccines has not been determined yet. Therefore, we did a survey at an international university in Japan to study the knowledge and attitude of female college students towards prevention of cervical cancer, to examine the age when they start sexual activity and other related attributes that may influence the risk of cervical cancer. We discuss the results of our survey and what they imply for the possible impact of an HPV immunization plan on the risk of cervical cancer in Japan, and conclude by an emphasis on the need to increase awareness among Japanese female adolescents and to enhance the cervical screening rates among older females who are already sexually active.

Highlights

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women worldwide and is especially common in developing countries; India, Bangladesh and Nepal have the highest incidence in the Asia Pacific region (Garland et al, 2008)
We discuss the results of our survey and what they imply for the possible impact of an human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization plan on the risk of cervical cancer in Japan, and conclude by an emphasis on the need to increase awareness among Japanese female adolescents and to enhance the cervical screening rates among older females who are already sexually active
The number of students who received professional consultation over preventive care including screening or vaccination was too small over all groups and nationalities. It appears that single female college students commonly engage in sexual activity that started at an earlier age

Summary

Introduction

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women worldwide and is especially common in developing countries; India, Bangladesh and Nepal have the highest incidence in the Asia Pacific region (Garland et al, 2008). The most important risk factor for cervical cancer, in more than 90% of cases, is prior infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV types 16 and 18 may be responsible for about 70% of all cervical cancers, worldwide. The most common HPV types associated with cervical cancer in Japan are types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58 (Miura et al, 2006). Primary prevention of cervical cancer is possible by avoiding infection with HPV through abstinence from sex. The risk of HPV infection and the ensuing cervical cancer, from 5 to 20 years later, are higher among those who start sexual activity at an earlier age, and have multiple partners. The only HPV independent risk factor for cervical cancer is smoking (Konno et al, 2008)

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Conclusion