Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign for Marginalized Communities in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur District

Background:Compared to the U.S. population, cervical cancer (CC) incidence is significantly higher among the CHamoru, Micronesian, and Caucasian populations in Guam. From 2008-2012, CC was the fifth most common cancer diagnosed on the island. Despite the prevalence of CC and low HPV vaccine uptake, there is a concerning lack of awareness and preventative behavior among young adults. This study was aimed at influencing college students’ knowledge and awareness of CC, CC screening, HPV, and the HPV vaccination. Methods:We delivered a 30-minute educational intervention to a sample of 108 university students in a classroom setting. The effect of the educational intervention was measured through a pre-and post-test on CC and HPV health behaviors, knowledge, and awareness. Results were analyzed using SPSS and an exact McNemar’s test was used to examine the difference in the proportion of correct answers to the tests. Two-way mixed ANOVA was used to examine between (gender, ethnicity, and class level) and within subjects (pre-and post-test) program effects. Results:Of the 108 participants, only 39 (36.1%) reported being vaccinated for HPV, 23 (21.3%) had not been vaccinated, and 46 (42.6%) did not know if they had been vaccinated for HPV. Only forty-one (60.3%) female participants had had a Pap smear. When comparing the pre-to-posttest responses, most questions had an increase in correct responses. Time also influenced CCA and HPV knowledge and awareness scores as there was a significant increase in scores from the pre- to post-test. Conclusion:The educational intervention was an effective tool for increasing knowledge and awareness of CC, HPV, and HPV vaccination among college students. While study results demonstrate the educational intervention’s success as a baseline measure of knowledge, the inclusion of behavioral outcome measures, such as intent to get vaccinated or screened, could result in more robust future studies.

Background: Cervical cancer is a vaccine preventable disease, it remains a public health issue, with the disease’s highest burden seen in developing countries such as Nigeria, where it is the second most frequent gynecological cancer and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is caused by HPV infection, which is a vaccine preventable sexually transmitted infection with high incidence among the younger population. This study assessed knowledge, attitude and Uptake of HPV Vaccination among adolescents in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was employed using semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire to 422 female adolescents of Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi State. Responses were collated and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and the level of significance is set at 0.05. Results: the mean age and SD of the respondents are 13.0 ± 2.0 and majority are Hausa by tribe (62%), Muslims (98%), with secondary level of education (47%), single (100%), not engaged in menial works (70%). There was good knowledge on HPV vaccine (65%), good attitude towards HPV vaccine (99.3%) and also good uptake of the HPV vaccine (60%) among the respondents. Also, the factors from the study that contribute significantly to the knowledge of HPV vaccine was level of education of the respondents and that of uptake of HPV vaccine were age and ethnicity of the respondents but, none was significant for attitude. Formal education, age and ethnicity were the predictors of knowledge of, and uptake of HPV infection and vaccination among the respondents. Conclusion: Adolescents within the age of 9 to 14 years in Bauchi LGA, Bauchi State have good knowledge, attitude and uptake of HPV infection and vaccine. Age, level of education and ethnicity of the respondents are the factors associated with good knowledge, and uptake of HPV infection and vaccine but, none was significant for attitude. The predictors of knowledge of, and uptake of HPV infection and vaccine of the respondent were age, formal education and ethnicity. There is need to strengthen the HPV vaccination among adolescent to prevent the infection and its consequences.

ObjectivesHPV vaccination is safe and effective for cancer prevention, but uptake remains low. Very little data exists on attitudes and knowledge of HPV vaccines among HPS. Edification of HPS knowledge...

Objective: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. HPV vaccination is used for immunization against this virus. This study aims to determine the knowledge level of patients admitted to our outpatient clinic regarding HPV and the HPV vaccine. Materials and Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional study comprised 1,225 women admitted to our gynecology outpatient clinics between January 1, 2013, and June 31, 2013. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, level of HPV and cervical cancer knowledge, awareness of Pap smear testing, and self-reported previous Pap smear tests through a questionnaire. Results: The mean age of participants was 37.79±13.19 (range 15–73). Of these participants, 31.8% had previously undergone a Pap smear, 62.4% had heard of cervical cancer, and 60.5% were aware of Pap smear testing. Television programs emerged as the leading source (24.7%) for HPV information. Notably, 65.7% of participants did not know that HPV can be sexually transmitted. Meanwhile, 60.5% had not heard of the HPV vaccine, and 70.5% were unaware that HPV vaccination can help prevent cervical cancer. Among participants who had received the vaccine, 63.3% stated they would encourage their daughters to get vaccinated. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that women’s knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination remains insufficient. Efforts focusing on improving awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine among the female population, particularly via healthcare providers, are critically important to achieving healthier future generations.

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND:Cervical cancer is a type of cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).OBJECTIVE:To determine the relationship between awareness of cervical cancer and HPV infection and attitudes towards HPV vaccine among women aged 15-49 years.DESIGN AND SETTING:Cross-sectional study conducted at Karabük Training and Research Hospital, Turkey.METHODS:500 women who visited the gynecology outpatient clinic of a public hospital between July 15 and December 31, 2019, were selected through random sampling. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire comprising nine questions (created by the researchers), the HPV and Cervical Cancer Awareness Questionnaire and the Carolina HPV Immunization Attitudes and Beliefs Scale.RESULTS:The relationship between the awareness questionnaire and the beliefs scale was explained through simple effect modeling of a structural equation. The women’s knowledge score regarding cervical cancer and HPV infection was 4.69 ± 4.02 out of 15. Women were afraid of being diagnosed with cervical cancer and HPV infection, but they did not have sufficient information. They had poor information about the HPV vaccine, did not know how to obtain the vaccine and did not have enough information about its benefits and harmful effects. Women who were afraid of getting cervical cancer, and who thought that they were at risk, had more information about the HPV vaccine.CONCLUSION:Women need information about cervical cancer, HPV infection and the HPV vaccine. Midwives, nurses and physicians who provide healthcare services in gynecological follow-ups should provide information to women about the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer.

Breast and cervical cancers are among the most prevalent malignancies affecting women in India, and despite being largely preventable and treatable when detected early, inadequate public awareness and poor screening practices continue to contribute to high morbidity and mortality. Healthcare professionals working at the primary health center (PHC) level play a crucial role in community education, early detection, and timely referral. This quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study was conducted among 206 healthcare professionals from 48 PHCs in Davanagere district,Karnataka, India, to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured educational intervention in improving awareness of breast and cervical cancer. Knowledge was assessed using a validated 18-item Kannada questionnaire covering symptoms, risk factors, screening guidelines, breast self-examination, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear practices. Participants underwent a 45-60-minute structured educational session, and pre-test and post-test scores were compared using a paired t-test. The mean pre-test score of 13.33±2.64 improved significantly to 17.43±0.69 following the intervention (p<0.0001). Nursing officers constituted the largest proportion of participants (27%), followed by primary healthcare officers (PHCOs) (22%) and doctors (20%), and a significant improvement in awareness was observed across all professional categories. The findings demonstrate that structured educational interventions are effective in enhancing awareness of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccination among PHC-level healthcare workers, highlighting the importance of regular training programs to strengthen early cancer detection and timely referral to higher healthcare centers.

Evidence-based preventive strategies for cervical cancer in low-resource setting have been developed, but implementation is challenged, and uptake remains low. Women and girls experience social and economic barriers to attend screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs. Male support has been proven successful in uptake of other reproductive healthcare services. This qualitative study with focus groups aimed to understand the perspectives of males on cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination in Western-Uganda This knowledge could be integrated into awareness activities to increase the attendance of cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination programs. Focus group discussions were conducted with men aged 25 to 60 years, who were married and/or had daughters, in Kagadi district, Mid-Western Uganda. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted with 67 men. Men were willing to support their wives for screening and their daughters for HPV vaccination. Misperceptions such as family planning and poor personal hygiene leading to cervical cancer, and misperception of the preventative aspect of screening and vaccination were common. Women with cervical cancer suffer from stigmatization and family problems due to loss of fertility, less marital sexual activity, domestic violence and decreased economic productivity. Ugandan men were willing to support cervical cancer prevention for their wives and daughters after being informed about cervical cancer. Limited knowledge among men about the risk factors and causes of cervical cancer, and about the preventative aspect of HPV vaccination and screening and their respective target groups, can limit uptake of both services. Screening and vaccination programs should actively involve men in creating awareness to increase uptake and acceptance of prevention.

IntroductionCervical cancer (CC) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania, despite being preventable through screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Although national strategies exist, uptake remains low. This study explored awareness of CC screening, care, and vaccination among men and women in both urban and rural areas of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.MethodA qualitative descriptive design was conducted from April to May 2024. Four Focus Group Discussions with a total of 31 participants (including men and women) were conducted in both urban and rural communities. Simple random sampling was used to select the participants. A semistructured guide covered CC awareness, vaccination, screening, and community engagement. Transcripts were translated, coded, and categorized. Inductive content analysis was used. The study report used Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.ResultsParticipants showed limited knowledge of CC, its causes, and the benefits of HPV vaccination and screening. Three main categories with eight subcategories emerged: (1) Low health literacy, (2) Challenges in accessing CC prevention, and (3) Community involvement. Myths (e.g., vaccination causing infertility), healthcare system barriers, financial constraints, and stigma contributed to poor uptake. Male and opinion leader involvement was identified as crucial, but both groups lacked accurate information and were not actively promoting CC prevention.ConclusionThis study highlights limited knowledge and persistent misconceptions about CC and its prevention among men and women in both urban and rural areas of Tanzania. Structural and sociocultural barriers, including low health literacy, financial constraints, gender norms, and misinformation, hinder access to screening and HPV vaccination. Engaging male partners, opinion leaders, and communities through targeted education and improved health communication is essential. These findings provide foundational knowledge to inform policy and design context-sensitive interventions to reduce the CC burden in Tanzania and similar low-resource settings.

Immune Response 2019 : Factors influencing intention to obtain the HPV vaccine among a population of universitywomen in morocco - Dr. Aicha yacouti â University of Hassan

The objective of this study was to assess the rate of effectiveness of cervical cancer awareness outreach among Vietnamese women in San Diego, USA. In collaboration with different community partners, educational seminars were hosted by student pharmacists in the Vietnamese community. We hypothesized that the seminars would increase cervical cancer awareness and encourage a positive outlook on obtaining annual Pap smears and HPV vaccines. The study design included pre- and post-intervention assessment surveys in either Vietnamese or English language. The surveys were administered to Vietnamese women who participated in the seminars. Eight seminars were hosted at local health fairs in San Diego. A total of 120 Vietnamese women participated in the seminars. Our study showed that educational seminars significantly improved the knowledge about cervical cancer, Pap smears and HPV vaccines. By comparing the pre- and post-intervention surveys, we observed an improvement in knowledge about cervical cancer (61% vs 93%, p < 0.001) and a positive change in the attitude towards obtaining a Pap smear within a year following the educational intervention (57% vs. 78%, p < 0.002). Therefore, we concluded that the educational health outreach seminars presented by student pharmacists are an effective educational model to help improve knowledge about cervical cancer and prevention among Vietnamese women.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage among adolescents is lower in rural regions and remains under the 80% coverage goal by Healthy People 2030. Through both sentiment analysis and topic modeling, this research examines how local health agencies and groups in nine Northern California counties promote HPV vaccines through Facebook and how target populations react to promotion posts in comments that elucidate their sentiments and hesitancy toward HPV vaccination. In January 2021, we identified 2,105 public Facebook pages and 1,065 groups related to health within the counties and collected a total of 212 posts and 505 comments related to the HPV vaccine. The posts were published between 2010 and 2021, with the majority (83%) published after 2017. There were large variations of Facebook activities across counties. We categorized four counties with HPV vaccination initiation rates below 40% as low-coverage counties and five counties with rates above 40% as high-coverage counties. In general, low-coverage counties had fewer Facebook activities in comparison to high coverage. Results showed that, on average, comments about the HPV vaccine exhibited more positive emotion, more negative emotion, and more anger than the posts. Overall, thematic topics that emerged from posts centered around awareness and screening of HPV and cervical cancer, STI testing services, information sources, and calls to action for health services. However, comment topics did not correspond to posts and were mostly related to vaccine hesitancy, discussing vaccine risks, safety concerns, and distrust in vaccine science, citing misinformation. When comparing high- versus low-coverage counties, posts expressed similar sentiments; however, comments within high-coverage counties expressed more anger than in low-coverage counties. Comments from both high- and low-coverage counties expressed concerns with vaccine safety, risks, and injury. It is important to note that commenters exchanged information sources and tried to address misinformation themselves. Our results suggest that the promotion of HPV vaccines from public Facebook pages and groups is limited in frequency and content diversity. This illustrates problems with generalized social media vaccination promotion without community tailoring and addressing specific hesitancy concerns. Public health agencies should listen to the thoughts of targeted audiences reflected through comments and design relevant messages to address these concerns for HPV vaccination promotion.

BackgroundThere is little information concerning the preventive behaviors against cervical cancer among women in Cambodia, a country without organized cervical cancer screening programs and national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination policies. We aimed to examine the cervical cancer knowledge, attitudes, and practices as well as cervical cancer prevention methods among Cambodian women.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional survey on cervical cancer prevention was conducted. We conducted a face-to-face interview survey for women aged 20–69 years who lived in Kampong Speu Province. The data collection was conducted by a nurse and a trained health worker using a structured questionnaire from January 8 to February 19, 2016. The questionnaire comprised 46 questions on demographic and reproductive characteristics, knowledge of cervical cancer, related risk factors and preventive methods, and attitudes toward and practices of Pap test and HPV vaccination. A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between preventive behaviors against cervical cancer and related factors such as age, education, income, and knowledge of cervical cancer.ResultsAmong the 440 respondents, 74 and 34% of women had heard about cervical cancer and the Papanicolaou (Pap) Smear test, respectively, and 7% of women had ever been screened by a Pap test. The participants showed high willingness to undergo a Pap test (74%). Furthermore, 35% of women were aware that cervical cancer is preventable by vaccination and 62% of women were willing to get the HPV vaccine, but only 1% of women had been vaccinated against HPV. Women of a younger age (odds ratio: 76.7; 95% confidence interval: 19.2–306.5 among women aged 20–29 years compared to 60–69 years, P-for-trend< 0.0001) and those who were married (odds ratio: 2.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.3–6.3) were more likely to be willing to receive the vaccination.ConclusionsWomen in the Kampong Speu province of Cambodia had a low awareness of cervical cancer screening and rarely practiced cervical cancer screening. However, the willingness to get Pap test and HPV vaccination is high.

Although cervical cancer is potentially preventable, lack of knowledge and poor attitude among healthcare professionals toward cervical cancer screening and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination can result in underutilization of these preventive strategies. Then, the objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical cancer and its prevention through Pap test screening and HPV vaccination among obstetricians and gynecologists (Ob-Gyns). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 Egyptian attendees of a national Ob-Gyns professional conference. Data collection was performed using a pre-designed self-administered questionnaire, which tested participants' knowledge, attitude, and practices related to cervical cancer, Pap test screening, and HPV vaccination. The study included 41.2% Ob-Gyns specialists and 37.6% of consultants from secondary and tertiary care hospitals or centers. About 45% of participants had poor-to-fair knowledge, 57% had negative-to-fair positive attitudes toward cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination, and 44% had ever-performed Pap test, while 45% of participants had ever-prescribed the HPV vaccine to their patients. Physicians' knowledge and attitude were significantly associated with their age, professional level, work experience, and place of work. Although performing cervical cancer screening was significantly more common among older, more experienced, and highly professional participants, HPV vaccine prescription was associated with young, less experienced participants at lower educational and professional levels. Ob-Gyns had poor-to-fair knowledge, Attitude, and practices related to cervical cancer, Pap test screening, and HPV vaccination.

The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in young women of reproductive ages have recently increased, which is a serious issue worldwide. This chapter will focus on the prevention of cervical cancer with HPV testing and vaccination. It is recognized that strategies for preventing cervical cancer consist of two major steps: preventing infection of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 and HPV-18 by HPV vaccination and secondary prevention by screening using HPV testing and/or cytology. Current cervical cancer screening strategies using cytology combined with HPV testing have been successfully introduced, with shifting from cytology alone to cytology plus HPV cotesting and now to a new paradigm in which HPV testing alone may become a primary screening tool. HPV vaccination is a “primary prevention” tool, and both the bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines have excellent safety and efficacy profiles. Recently, a 9-valent vaccine, targeted against HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-31, HPV-33, HPV-45, HPV-52, and HPV-58, has been developed, which may possibly protect against over 80% of invasive cervical cancers. Further evidence on the 9-valent HPV vaccine should be accumulated worldwide, and its application is expected as a new strategy. Finally, the WHO recognizes the prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases as global public health problems and strongly recommends the HPV vaccination programs. Both HPV vaccination and cancer screening tests are indispensable for cervical cancer prevention. The complete eradication of this malignant disease in the world will be realized in the near future by the further development and widespread application of these two strategies.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the commonest malignancy among Indian women causing high mortality and considerable socioeconomic burden. In developing countries like India primary and secondary prevention in the form of risk reduction and screening for precancerous lesions respectively offers the best hope for control of the disease. The success of preventive strategies depends on awareness and utilization of the services by the women. Objectives: To assess the awareness regarding cervical cancer and preventive practices related to cervical cancer among rural women in a selected area of Tamil Nadu. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among 100 women attending a rural health centre, in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu between May and July 2012, using a semi-structured schedule. Results:Among the 100 participants, 74% were aware of the term cervical cancer. This awareness was positively associated with higher levels of education, socioeconomic status and occupational status (p&lt; 0.05). Awareness about symptoms (29.7%), risk factors (1.35%), Pap smear (14.9%), other screening methods (13.5%) and treatment (4%) was low. None of the participants were aware of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine and none had undergone screening or immunisation with HPV. Conclusion: The awareness about cervical cancer and utilization of screening services was very low among the participants. This emphasises the need for integrating extensive awareness building measures in cancer control programmes. A multi-pronged approach is essential to cover women belonging to various socioeconomic subgroups. Key words: Awareness; cervical cancer; cervical cancer screening; human papilloma virus vaccine; Pap smear.