What do we know about cervical cancer and HPV vaccines? A cross-sectional questionnaire evaluated by midwives and nurses

Abstract

Background/Aim: Cervical cancer is a preventable disease by appropriate screening programs, treatment of pre-invasive lesions, and vaccination. Thus, the knowledge of healthcare providers about this issue is crucial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of nurses and midwives who were working in the obstetrics and gynecology department about cervical cancer, screening programs, and human papillomavirus vaccination. Methods: The questionnaire comprising 17 questions about cervical cancer, screening programs, and the human papillomavirus that was created by the authors, was applied to midwives and nurses working in Bursa online. All participants were informed about the answers, cervical cancer and HPV vaccines adequately after finishing the questionnaire. Results: The number of participants volunteering to answer the survey was 510. Of these, the rate of participants claiming that cervical cancer is a preventable disease was 97.4%. Approximately 74% of them answered that the reason for cancer was a virus, and 97.8% said that it is screened with a cervical smear. Sixty percent of the participants answered the onset age of the cervical cancer screening program wrongly. There is a great lack of knowledge about the type of vaccines, administration age, and the population vaccinated. Only 2% of the participants had been vaccinated and 34% had offered the vaccination to someone. Conclusion: Midwives and nurses of the obstetrics and gynecology department working in Bursa have sufficient knowledge about cervical cancer, whereas they have a lack of knowledge about screening programmes and human papillomavirus vaccination. It is crucial to make everyone know that cervical cancer is preventable and that eradication is possible by vaccination. Community-based information about the cervical cancer screening program and HPV vaccines is essential.