Cervical Cancer & Screening: A KAP Study among Health Care Staff in Private Health Facilities of Maharashtra

Amol Gaikwad; Sanjay Rakh

Volume : IV, Issue : IX, September - 2015

Cervical Cancer & Screening: A KAP Study among Health Care Staff in Private Health Facilities of Maharashtra

Amol Gaikwad, Sanjay Rakh

Abstract :

Background & Objective: Cervical cancer is most preventable and treatable cancer. Due to lack of awareness the preventability of the disease is limited. To improve the awareness health care staff has an important role. Thus present study was conducted to assess the knowledge of cervical cancer and its screening among the health care staff of private health facilities. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among all female health care staff of private health institutions in Jalna city, Maharashtra. With the help of a self–administered, semi–structured, pretested questionnaire, data regarding the risk factor, screening tests, symptoms, attitude and practices of participants towards the cervical cancer and screening were collected. Results: 40.9% of respondents overall knowledge about cervical cancer was found to be poor. Despite of Government’s initiative of cervical cancer screening by VIA, only 16.9% of respondents know about the VIA. Reflection of available knowledge is also not seen in routine practices of respondents as only 4.2% of respondents underwent the self screening for cervical cancer. Conclusion: `for cervical cancer prevention and control program, health care staff should be targeted initially by cancer awareness and sensitize them about their important role in community awareness and screening.