Abstract
Background:Although the incidence of cervical cancer has declined in developed countries, cervical cancer remains a major problem in those that are developing. Past studies suggest that Indian women, who account for at least one-fourth of the global disease burden, are not routinely screened.Objectives:Among the women living in our low-income urban community in South India, we sought to determine the prevalence of screening and to assess women’s knowledge of cervical cancer.Methods:We conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey evaluating cancer screening prevalence among women aged 25–65 living in the communities served by our clinic. We also assessed knowledge of cervical cancer, screening and the HPV vaccine in a subset of 175 women in the same age range.Findings:Prevalence data was available for 1033 women. Of these,14.3% had at least one lifetime pelvic exam and 7.1% had undergone cervical cancer screening. Women who were married below the age of 18, who belonged to non-Hindu religion, and who were from a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to be screened. Women who were single did not undergo screening. With regard to knowledge of cervical cancer, 84.6% of women had poor knowledge, 10.3% had moderate knowledge, and 5.1% had good knowledge. Women aged 41 years or younger had better knowledge of the disease.Conclusions:Very few women are screened for cervical cancer and few have adequate knowledge of the disease within this South Indian community. These findings suggest opportunities for a community-based education and screening campaign to reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer within this population.
Highlights
The global cervical cancer burden is disproportionally high in low and middle-income countries, where 83% of all new cases and 85% of cervical cancer deaths occur [1]
Among the women ages 25–65 living in five low income areas in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, we found that only 7.1% had undergone cervical cancer screening at least once in their lifetime
No women in our study received the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine and almost no women knew of the vaccination
Summary
The global cervical cancer burden is disproportionally high in low and middle-income countries, where 83% of all new cases and 85% of cervical cancer deaths occur [1]. India accounts for nearly one-fourth of the world’s cervical cancer deaths, with 60,078 deaths and 96,922 new cases in 2018 [2, 3] This largely preventable disease is the second most common cause of cancer mortality among Indian women [4]. Objectives: Among the women living in our low-income urban community in South India, we sought to determine the prevalence of screening and to assess women’s knowledge of cervical cancer. Conclusions: Very few women are screened for cervical cancer and few have adequate knowledge of the disease within this South Indian community. These findings suggest opportunities for a community-based education and screening campaign to reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer within this population
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