Perceived cervical cancer risk, knowledge and preventive practices

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CACX) represents the largest percentage of female malignancies in Uganda and it is mostly diagnosed late. This study describes CACX knowledge, perceived risk and preventive practices of female university students in Uganda. Stratified systematic sampling technique was used to get a sample of 323 participants from a public university in Uganda. Results from the 323 participants (mean age 21.28 years, standard deviation 1.64 years) show that the majority (79%) perceived their CACX risk as low. Participants had poor CACX-related knowledge as indicated by a lack of knowledge about causes (62%), signs (72%) and screening methods (61–85%). Participants also had poor CACX preventive practices, indicated by reports of unprotected sex (80%), multiple sexual partners (64%) and no Pap smears (96%) or gynaecological examinations (71%). A significant relationship was found between perceived risk and preventive practices (P ≤ 0.01) and between perceived risk and knowledge (P ≤ 0.05). This study reinforces the need for scaling up CACX health education among groups of women at high risk of preventable gynaecological cancers.