Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern in low and middle income countries, accounting for substantial morbidity and mortality despite being largely preventable through effective screening and vaccination strategies. Understanding women’s knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) toward cervical cancer and its screening is essential for improving early detection and prevention.
Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding cervical cancer and its screening among women attending a tertiary care hospital and to identify socio-demographic factors associated with screening uptake.
Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted among 350 women attending the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Telangana, India. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of cervical cancer and its risk factors, attitudes toward screening and prevention and screening practices. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to determine associations between variables, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Among the 350 participants, 61.7% had heard of cervical cancer, while only 31.5% were aware of the Pap smear test as a screening method. Although 65.3% demonstrated a favorable attitude toward cervical cancer screening, only 3.4% had ever undergone screening. Higher educational status and prior exposure to health education were significantly associated with better knowledge scores and screening practices (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The study demonstrates a marked gap between awareness, attitude and actual screening practices. Strengthening community-based awareness programs and integrating cervical cancer screening into routine healthcare services are critical to improving screening uptake and reducing disease burden.