Awareness Of Cervical Cancer Prevention Research Articles

Awareness of HPV and HPV vaccine among college students in China.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, HPV vaccine can reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by approximately 70%. Sexual behavior is a direct risk factor for HPV infection, and sexually active college students, therefore, receive attention for HPV vaccination. This study aimed to investigate the awareness of HPV and its vaccine among college students in Zhengzhou, and to explore the factors influencing their awareness of HPV vaccine, to understand college students' willingness to receive the vaccine. The findings of this study will lay a foundation for cervical cancer prevention. Using a multistage random sampling method, 650 college students from four universities in Zhengzhou were selected. A self-administered questionnaire on the awareness of HPV and its vaccine, and willingness to receive HPV vaccination was carried out. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing students' awareness of the HPV vaccine. 58.0% of college students had heard of HPV, and 72.8% of college students had heard of HPV vaccine. Logistic regression showed that gender, major, grade, mean monthly consumption level, sexual history, and mother cervical cancer screening participation significantly influenced the awareness of HPV vaccine (p < 0.05). Only 27(4.2%) college students had received the HPV vaccine. 63.2% of college students expressed their willingness to get vaccinated. The awareness of HPV and its vaccine among college students in Zhengzhou needs improvement. Although the vaccination rate is low, most college students are willing to be vaccinated. Diverse health education programs should be conducted for different groups to improve awareness of cervical cancer prevention and promote vaccination.

Actions speak louder than words; pediatricians, gynecologists, nurses, and other mothers' perspectives on the human papillomavirus vaccine: an Istanbul multicenter study.

Gynecologists and pediatricians have an essential duty to prevent cervical cancer. In this study, we compared the compliance of gynecologists (n = 22) and pediatricians (n = 49) with nurse/midwife (n = 66) and non-medical moms (n = 120) with regards to cervical cancer precautions. A questionnaire was used to gather data on their demographics, personal vaccination and screening practices, children's immunization status, and awareness of cervical cancer prevention. The findings demonstrated that gynecologists and pediatricians were better than others at understanding the risk factors and prevention of cervical cancer. It was noted that compared to other groups, physician mothers and their offspring had higher vaccination rates (n = 13, 18.3%; n = 10, 29.4%, respectively). Medical professionals typically provided thorough and accurate answers to informational questions. More frequent Pap smear tests were performed by gynecologists. It was noted that mothers who worked as pediatricians and nurses/midwives neglected their own screening needs. This questionnaire survey sought to ascertain Istanbul's health professionals' present opinions regarding HPV vaccination. Healthcare professionals should be the first to receive information on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer incidence reduction. The public could then readily use them as an example.

Analysis of the current state of cervical cancer prevention awareness and its influencing factors among rural women in Luohe City.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the current awareness about cervical cancer prevention among rural women in Luohe City as well as its potential influencing factors. Meanwhile, these data were expected to provide a theoretical basis for Luohe future cervical cancer prevention and therapy. Based on geographical distribution, 40 villages in Luohe City were randomly selected, and questionnaires were given to women in each village. In this study, a total of 4665 questionnaires were distributed, and 4561 valid questionnaires were returned, with a recovery rate of 97.98%. The average score was 4.06 ± 2.46 out of 10. It was found that women had a high awareness rate of cervical cancer screening (55.25%) but a low awareness rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccine (10.17%). Moreover, univariate and multivariable analyses showed that age > 45 years, low household income, low education level, being a farmer, spouse unemployment, no pregnancy or birth delivery history, no family or personal history of cervical disease, and no previous complimentary 2-cancer screening (i.e., breast cancer and cervical cancer) were all factors influencing the cognitive level of rural women in Luohe City (P < .05). However, ethnicity, marital status, and spouse education level were not correlated with cognitive level (P > .05). In conclusion, low awareness of cervical cancer prevention among rural women in Luohe was correlated with individual, family, and social factors. So it was recommended to cultivate the rural population knowledge, optimize screening strategies, and conduct targeted cervical cancer prevention and treatment in rural regions.

Recruitment strategies for cervical cancer screening in three Mediterranean low and middle-income countries: Albania, Montenegro, and Morocco

&lt;abstract&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Introduction&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;Cervical cancer (CC) poses a substantial burden in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), where challenges in implementing effective screening programs and achieving high participation rates persist.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Aims&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;This study sought to compare different strategies for recruiting women for CC screening in Albania, Montenegro, and Morocco, and compared usual care (ongoing invitation method) with an alternative approach (intervention strategy).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Methods&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;Within each country, the following comparisons were made: face-to-face (FF) invitations versus phone calls (PCs) in Albania, PCs versus letter invitations in Montenegro, and FF invitations to women attending healthcare centers versus a combined approach termed “Invitation made in Morocco” (utilizing PC and FF for hard-to-reach women) in Morocco. Questionnaires that assessed facilitators and barriers to participation were administered to women who either attended or refused screening.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Results&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;In Albania, significant differences in the examination coverage were observed between the invitation methods (PC: 46.1% vs. FF: 87.1%, p &amp;lt; 0.01) and between the rural and urban settings (rural: 89.1% vs. urban: 76.3%, p &amp;lt; 0.01). In Montenegro, the coverage varied based on the recruitment method (PC: 17.7% vs. letter invitation: 7.6%; p &amp;lt; 0.01), the setting (urban: 28.3% vs. rural: 13.2%; p &amp;lt; 0.01), and age (&amp;lt;34 years: 10.9% vs. 34+: 9.6%, p &amp;lt; 0.01). In Morocco, no significant differences were observed. Common screening facilitators included awareness of CC prevention and understanding the benefits of early diagnosis, while key barriers included a limited perception of personal CC risk and the fear of testing positive.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Discussion&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;FF appeared to be effective in promoting participation, but its broader implementation raised sustainability concerns. PC invitations proved feasible, albeit necessitating updates to population registries. Restricting FF contacts for hard-to-reach communities may enhance the affordability and equity.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;/abstract&gt;

ASSESSMENT OF AWARENESS AND RISK FACTORS FOR CERVICAL CANCER AMONG YOUNG WOMEN IN ALMATY

Relevance: Currently, in the world, including Kazakhstan, the increasing number of new cervical cancer cases among women of reproductive age is a socio-demographic problem. The increase in cervical cancer incidence among young women, the high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among young sexually active women, the lack of screening programs for the early detection of cervical cancer in young women, the need to take urgent measures to increase awareness of young women about risk factors for cervical cancer and methods of prevention and determined the relevance of this study.&#x0D; The study aimed to estimate the awareness, identify risk factors for cervical cancer, and assess the state of reproductive health of young women of Almaty by questioning.&#x0D; Methods: The article presents an analytical study of the intermediate results of a survey of young women aged 18 to 32 years and living in Almaty. Participants received full information on the upcoming survey. The questionnaire collected information on socio-demographic data, awareness of cervical cancer prevention, and women’s gynecological history. The questionnaire contained 30 questions in total and took 10 minutes to complete.&#x0D; Results: Among young women in Almaty, low awareness of primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer was revealed in all age groups. The most common risk factors for cervical cancer among young women in Almaty were an early onset of sexual activity, smoking, and hormonal contraceptive uptake.&#x0D; Conclusion: The survey showed the problem of low awareness of girls about cervical cancer and the risk factors for developing cervical cancer. Based on these data, we can state the need for educational work on these issues among young people.

ASSESSMENT OF AWARENESS AND RISK FACTORS FOR CERVICAL CANCER AMONG YOUNG WOMEN IN ALMATY

Relevance: Currently, in the world, including Kazakhstan, the increasing number of new cervical cancer cases among women of reproductive age is a socio-demographic problem. The increase in cervical cancer incidence among young women, the high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among young sexually active women, the lack of screening programs for the early detection of cervical cancer in young women, the need to take urgent measures to increase awareness of young women about risk factors for cervical cancer and methods of prevention and determined the relevance of this study.&#x0D; The study aimed to estimate the awareness, identify risk factors for cervical cancer, and assess the state of reproductive health of young women of Almaty by questioning.&#x0D; Methods: The article presents an analytical study of the intermediate results of a survey of young women aged 18 to 32 years and living in Almaty. Participants received full information on the upcoming survey. The questionnaire collected information on socio-demographic data, awareness of cervical cancer prevention, and women’s gynecological history. The questionnaire contained 30 questions in total and took 10 minutes to complete.&#x0D; Results: Among young women in Almaty, low awareness of primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer was revealed in all age groups. The most common risk factors for cervical cancer among young women in Almaty were an early onset of sexual activity, smoking, and hormonal contraceptive uptake.&#x0D; Conclusion: The survey showed the problem of low awareness of girls about cervical cancer and the risk factors for developing cervical cancer. Based on these data, we can state the need for educational work on these issues among young people.

Associations between the signing status of family doctor contract services and cervical cancer screening behaviors: a cross-sectional study in Shenzhen, China

BackgroundAs a core part of the primary healthcare system, family doctor contract services (FDCS) may help healthcare providers promote cervical cancer screening to the female population. However, evidence from population-based studies remains scant. This study aimed to investigate the potential associations between the signing status of FDCS and cervical cancer screening practices in Shenzhen, China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey among female residents was conducted between July to December 2020 in Shenzhen, China. A multistage sampling method was applied to recruit women seeking health services in community health service centers. Binary logistic regression models were established to assess the associations between the signing status of FDCS and cervical cancer screening behaviors.ResultsOverall, 4389 women were recruited (mean age: 34.28, standard deviation: 7.61). More than half (54.3%) of the participants had signed up with family doctors. Women who had signed up for FDCS performed better in HPV-related knowledge (high-level rate: 49.0% vs. 35.6%, P<0.001), past screening participation (48.4% vs. 38.8%, P<0.001), and future screening willingness (95.9% vs. 90.8%, P<0.001) than non-signing women. Signing up with family doctors was marginally associated with past screening participation (OR: 1.13, 95%CI: 0.99–1.28), which tended to be robust among women with health insurance, being older than 25 years old at sexual debut, using condom consistently during sexual intercourse, and with a low level of HPV related knowledge. Similarly, signing up with family doctors was positively associated with future screening willingness (OR: 1.68, 95%CI: 1.29–2.20), which was more pronounced among women who got married and had health insurance.ConclusionsThis study suggests that signing up with family doctors has positive associations with cervical cancer screening behaviors among Chinese women. Expanding public awareness of cervical cancer prevention and FDCS may be a feasible way to achieve the goal of cervical cancer screening coverage.

Edukasi Kanker Serviks dan Efektivitas Vaksin HPV Sejak Dini di SMAN 2 Pekanbaru

In 2013, the number of cervical cancer cases in Riau Province reached 894 cases. In 2020, RSUD Arifin Achmad Riau Province reported the cervical cancer was the third rank below breast and ovarian cancer. Cervical cancer has major risk factor named by HPV virus. HPV vaccine has been reported to adequate to eliminate HPV viruses. The Indonesian government has provided the health facilities to decrease cervical cancer sufferers by providing HPV vaccines. However, vulnerable women are not ready to be vaccinated. Education level is one of the factors. Hence, we try to intervene the mind of SMAN 2 Pekanbaru female students by offer early knowledge regarding the risk factors of cervical cancer, how to prevent as well as socialize HPV vaccine effectivity and safety. Educational and outreach activities were carried out by material presentation method by a direct meeting which interactive and educative. Feedback data collection from the activities was given through the Google Form platform. This activity was held on Monday, 22nd November 2021 at 09.00 – 10.35 West Indonesian Time, joined by 20 female students of SMAN 2 Pekanbaru which included three grade levels, X, XI, and XII class. According to the results of the questionnaire, we obtained the improvement of cervical cancer and HPV vaccine information. Moreover, this activity upgraded the awareness of cervical cancer prevention, by as much as 25% (N=12). We may conclude that education on cervical cancer is tremendously important to young women as our effort to decrease cervical cancer cases in the future.

Intervention Strategies for the Prevention of Female Cervical Cancer

A competent intervention study was conducted to raise awareness of cervical cancer prevention among women who received Neck Pathology counseling at the Policlínico Universitario “Mártires de Jamaica”. The population consists of 326 cancer-free women. A simple random sample of 180 women was selected. The sociodemographic and knowledge variables that affect the increase of the disease were studied. The diagnosis was carried out and an education program was developed. It was found that the main age group was from 35 to 59 years old, affected by pre-university education, unprotected first sexual intercourse between the ages of 15–20, multiple births and unknown risk factors, especially human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. After the intervention, 100% of women knew the factors, causes and prevention methods of cervical cancer.

Barriers and Facilitators to Cervical Cancer Screening in Western Kenya: a Qualitative Study.

About nine out of 10 cervical cancer deaths occur in low-resource countries, with a particularly high burden in sub-Saharan Africa. The objectives of this study were to assess barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening in western Kenya from the perspectives of community members and healthcare providers. We conducted two focus groups with female community members (n = 24) and one with providers (n = 12) in Migori County, Kenya. Discussion guides queried about knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer prevention; structural, social, and personal barriers; and facilitators towards cervical cancer screening uptake. Group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emerging themes. Participants in both groups reported low awareness of HPV and cervical cancer screening in the community, and identified that as a main barrier to screening. Community members reported fear of pain and embarrassment as significant barriers to a screening pelvic exam. They also reported that providers' lack of knowledge and discomfort with a sensitive subject were significant barriers. A personal connection to cervical cancer and/or screening was associated with willingness to screen and awareness. Providers reported workload and lack of supplies and trained staff as significant barriers to offering services. Based on these findings, we identified three intervention components to address these facilitators and barriers to screening. They include utilizing existing social networks to expand awareness of cervical cancer risk and screening, training non-physician health workers to meet the demand for screening, and employing female-driven screening techniques such as self-collection of specimens for HPV testing. Cervical cancer prevention programs must take into account the local realities in which they occur. In low-resource areas in particular, identifying low-cost, effective, and culturally appropriate strategies for addressing poor screening uptake is important given limited funding. This study took a formative approach to identify facilitators and barriers to cervical cancer screening based on focus groups and interviews with community members and healthcare providers.

Enhancing the Knowledge of Cervical Cancer Screening among Female Nursing Students: An Interventional Educational Program

Background: Cervical cancer is a growing health risk facing women worldwide with the human papillomavirus (HPV) as the primary underlying cause. Pap smear is a simple screening test that can detect early changes in cervical cells, which might develop into cancer cells. Raising awareness of cervical cancer prevention has a significant impact on decreasing the burden of the disease. The aim of the study is to assess female nursing students' knowledge on early detection and screening of cervical cancer, and to determine the effectiveness of an educational program. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design (one group for pre- and post-tests) was utilized with a convenience sample of 130 female nursing students in one of the nursing colleges in Saudi Arabia. The study’s educational intervention included information about anatomy of genital tract and the importance of regular check-ups. The pre- and post-tests were applied to identify changes after intervention measures. Results: The mean age of the participants were 21.32 years (SD: 1.34). The findings revealed a significant improvement of post-test students’ knowledge in all items related to risk factors, signs and symptoms, occurrence, identification of HPV as causative agent, vaccination against HPV, and finally Pap smear for early detection and screening of cervical cancer. Conclusion: The study results support implementing educational intervention to improve nursing students' knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer prevention. Furthermore, it is imperative that cervical cancer awareness education modules should be developed and integrated within the nursing curriculum. Further studies with large sample size are recommended to increase generalization of the results. &#x0D; Key words: cervical cancer, education program, primary prevention, nursing students, Saudi Arabia

The visual awareness of cervical cancer prevention in women of childbearing age

Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the cervix or serviks. This cancer occurs because cells in the cervix has multiplied and the abnormalities. Cervical cancer usually occurs in women of child-bearing age who are 30-45 years old because the average woman at that age has been active in sexual intercourse and has been productive, but it can also occur in women aged 18 years due to women's inability to maintain cleanliness and the health of the reproductive organs. This study aims to describe the awareness and behavior of cervical cancer in Women of Child-bearing Age. This study used a quantitative methods type of descriptive survey research with a sample of 150 respondents and Accidental sampling technique. The analysis used is univariate (age, occupation, last education, awareness, and behavior). The average univariate results of respondents were 31 years old (6,0%), the average of the last high school education was 83 people (55.3%), the majority of women who came to the health center 141 people (94.0%), most of them had a good awareness of 91 people (60.7%), and positive behavior 104 people (69.3%) for early prevention of cervical cancer. Researcher hope that respondents who had never done early cervical cancer screaning should checkup immediately and respondents who had already done screaning must to improve and maintain the efforts to prevent cervical cancer.&#x0D; Bibliograph: 59 (2003-2018)&#x0D; Key words: Cervical Cancer, Awareness, Behavior&#x0D;

The Changes in the Awareness of Cervical Cancer Prevention and the Acceptability of HPV Vaccines among Women after Their Introduction in China

The Changes in the Awareness of Cervical Cancer Prevention and the Acceptability of HPV Vaccines among Women after Their Introduction in China

New Approaches on Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign For the Young Women

Background and context: Approximate 4000 new cases of cervical cancer, including carcinoma in situ, are found in Taiwan each year. More than 20% of that are in precancerous status, the age ranges from 20 to 34, equivalent to 1 out of 5 cases is young women. To deliver the message to young women to advocate cervical cancer prevention through vaccination + Papanicolaou test screening, new promotional approaches have been executed with innovative technology. Aim: 1. To elevate the understanding of the risk of HPV infection to young women between age 20 to 34 with new technology approaches. 2. Raise the awareness of cervical cancer prevention among young women. 3. Drive young women to take active role on cervical cancer prevention, particularly on HPV vaccination. 4. Encourage young women to visit gynecology clinic (OB/GYN) willingly to have regular Papanicolaou test screening. Strategy/Tactics: 1. Use humorous video + social media to attract the attention of young women, by male celebrities to remind female about HPV vaccination, and encourage them to prevent the disease with peers. 2. Invite key opinion leader (KOL) and social media influencers to resolve the passiveness, by celebrities + KOL to call on people to take action. 3. Use innovative technology/social media channels to spread and extend the meaning of this campaign. 4. Use location based service (LBS) provided by mobile service companies + GPS service to encourage young women to visit nearby OB/GYN. Program/Policy process: 1. Video of HPV and cervical cancer reminder from male KOL celebrity; in addition, HPV awareness ambassadors encourage young women to participate “vaccination + Pap smear screening”. 2. Resolve passive action by celebrities + KOL calling people to take part on the cervical cancer prevention, by sharing cervical cancer prevention messages on Facebook to influence fans to carry out the event spontaneously. 3. To encourage young women to visit nearby OB/GYN by LBS mobile text message service, and search for the nearby OB/GYN with GPS system on the map of the campaign Web site. Outcomes: The significant views from social media events: promotional video, Facebook activity, and mental quiz game have totally reached 4,889,276 views, from August 11 to November 1, 2017, the completion of promotion. Moreover, the page view of the campaign Web site had reached nearly 125,000 views and accessed 45,000 new target audience. LBS messages were read by 52,464 women, 8114 of them visited OB/GYN, which means 15.5% of young women were successfully encouraged to visit OB/GYN. What was learned: By using new technology and social media approaches to promote cervical cancer prevention to young women, we found that KOLs played significant role on influencing our target audience. By utilizing a variety of channels to communicate with the young women in new technology approaches will be the mainstream of promotion.

Awareness of cervical cancer prevention among mothers of adolescent daughters in Korea: qualitative research

ObjectivesKorean adolescent girls are unprepared for cervical cancer prevention due to the lack of a mandatory policy regarding human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination and school health education regarding cervical cancer....

Web-based Recruiting for a Survey on Knowledge and Awareness of Cervical Cancer Prevention Among Young Women Living in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Cervical cancer (CC) incidence and mortality among young women have been increasing in Japan. To develop effective measures to combat this, we assessed the feasibility of using a social networking site (SNS) to recruit a representative sample of young women to conduct a knowledge and attitude study about CC prevention via an internet-based questionnaire. From July 2012 to March 2013, advertising banners targeting women aged 16 to 35 years in Kanagawa Prefecture were placed on Facebook in a similar manner as an Australian (AUS) study conducted in 16- to 25-year-olds in 2010 and on a homepage to advertise our CC advocacy activities. Eligible participants were emailed instructions for accessing our secure Web site where they completed an online survey including demographics, awareness, and knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) and CC. Data for the study population were compared with the general Japanese population and the AUS study. Among 394 women who expressed interest, 243 (62%) completed the survey, with 52% completing it via Facebook. Women aged 26 to 35 years, living in Yokohama City, with an education beyond high school, were overrepresented. Participants had high awareness and knowledge of HPV and CC, comparable with the AUS study participants. However, the self-reported HPV vaccination rate (22% among participants aged 16-25 years) and the recognition rate of the link between smoking and CC (31%) were significantly lower than in the AUS study (58% and 43%, respectively) (P < 0.05). Significant predictors of high knowledge scores about HPV included awareness of HPV vaccine (P < 0.001) and self-reported HPV vaccination (P < 0.05). The SNS and homepage are efficient methods to recruit young women into health surveys, which can effectively be performed online. A nationwide survey using SNSs would be an appropriate next step to better understand the current lack of uptake of the national HPV vaccine program by young women in Japan.

Promoters of and barriers to cervical cancer screening in a rural setting in Tanzania

ObjectiveTo investigate promoters and barriers for cervical cancer screening in rural Tanzania. MethodsWe interviewed 300 women of reproductive age living in Kiwangwa village, Tanzania. The odds of attending a free, 2-day screening service were compared with sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors, and knowledge and attitudes surrounding cervical cancer using multivariable logistic regression. ResultsCompared with women who did not attend the screening service (n=195), women who attended (n=105) were older (OR 4.29; 95% CI, 1.61–11.48, age 40–49years versus 20–29years), listened regularly to the radio (OR 24.76; 95% CI, 11.49–53.33, listened to radio 1–3 times per week versus not at all), had a poorer quality of life (OR 4.91; CI, 1.96–12.32, lowest versus highest score), had faced cost barriers to obtaining health care in the preceding year (OR 2.24; 95% CI, 1.11–4.53, yes versus no), and held a more positive attitude toward cervical cancer screening (OR 4.64; 95% CI, 1.39–15.55, least versus most averse). ConclusionEfforts aimed at improving screening rates in rural Tanzania need to address both structural and individual-level barriers, including knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer prevention, cost barriers to care, and access to health information.

Awareness of HPV and cervical cancer prevention among Cameroonian healthcare workers

BackgroundCervical cancer, although largely preventable, remains the most common cause of cancer mortality among women in low-resource countries.The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer prevention among Cameroonian healthcare workers.MethodsA cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire in 5 parts with 46 items regarding cervical cancer etiology and prevention was addressed to healthcare workers in six hospitals of Yaoundé, Cameroon. The investigators enlisted heads of nursing and midwifery to distribute questionnaires to their staff, recruited doctors individually, in hospitals and during conferences and distributed questionnaires to students in Yaoundé University Hospital and Medical School. Eight hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed, 401 collected. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 16.0. Chi-square tests were used and P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsMean age of respondents was 38 years (range 20-71 years). Most participants were aware that cervical cancer is a major public health concern (86%), were able to identify the most important etiological factors (58%) and believed that screening may prevent cervical cancer (90%) and may be performed by Pap test (84%). However, less than half considered VIA or HPV tests screening tests (38 and 47%, respectively). Knowledge about cancer etiology and screening was lowest among nurse/midwives.ConclusionKnowledge of cervical cancer and prevention by screening showed several gaps and important misconceptions regarding screening methods.Creating awareness among healthcare workers on risk factors and current methods for cervical cancer screening is a necessary step towards implementing effective prevention programs.

Cervical Cancer Working Group Report

Disease burden of cervical cancer in Asia was summarized. Human papillomavirus 16 is the most oncogenic human papillomavirus type. Korea's national cervical cancer screening program targets women aged 30 or over, with coverage of almost 80%. Japan has a long history (50 years) of cervical cancer screening, and cytological screening programs have reduced the incidence/mortality of cervical cancer by 70%. But, recent cervical cancer screening coverage is ∼24%. Modeling suggested that vaccination of all 12-year-old girls would reduce cervical cancer cases by 73% in Japan. India has no cervical cancer screening program, as well as a serious lack of awareness in the general population, medical professionals and policy-makers. A realistic, affordable approach would be a low-volume, once-in-a-lifetime human papillomavirus-based screening program. In Australia, the national cervical cancer program has been very successful in reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Australia was the first country to implement free, national human papillomavirus immunization (April 2007), expected to reduce human papillomavirus 16 infections by 56% in 2010 and 92% in 2050. A comparison of the UK and Japan was demonstrated that in the UK, cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus vaccination uptakes are high because the government provides adequate education/funding. The Japanese government needs to put more emphasis on women's health and preventative medicine. Our conclusion and recommendations are that heightened public awareness of cervical cancer prevention, focusing on screening and vaccination will lead to improved survival and a better quality of life.

Screening for cervical neoplasia in Bangladesh using visual inspection with acetic acid

Objective To report the organization and early results of a visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening program for cervical cancer prevention in Bangladesh. Methods Opportunistic VIA screening was offered by trained medical personnel to healthy women attending healthcare facilities in 44 districts. Colposcopy and/or directed biopsies were performed on VIA-positive women at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) or medical college hospitals. The numbers of screened and VIA-positive women as well as the results of colposcopy, biopsy, and treatment of those with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) attending BSMMU are reported. Results From January, 2005, to June, 2008, 104 098 women underwent VIA screening. Among them, 5013 (4.8%) women were positive, of whom 4371 (87.2%) attended colposcopy clinics in different hospitals. Of the 2188 who underwent colposcopy at BSMMU, 157 were diagnosed with CIN 2–3 and 123 with invasive cancer. For 2065 women (excluding the cancer cases), results for sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of VIA to detect CIN 2–3 lesions were 93.6%, 58.3%, and 15.6%, respectively. Almost half the women with CIN 2 or 3 lesions had treatment. Conclusion A VIA-based program would facilitate the development of screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical neoplasia and improve awareness of cervical cancer prevention in Bangladesh.