Abstract :
Introduction: Cervical malignancy is the most found cause of deaths among women or female globally. It turn out to be a fatal disease once it reaches the invasive stages but is very much preventable if detected in its early stages. Cervical cancer screening using Papanicolaou (Pap) test avoids the progress of cervical malignancy by identifying pre-cancerous lesions.
Method: A cross sectional study/research was done in a semi-urban township of eastern India.
Materials: two thirty six women aged between 30 years to 60 years.
Results: While comparing this study with the other studies we found lacking of awareness on cervical malignancies and practice towards it. The less knowledge towards the awareness and practice was mostly due to low socioeconomic status and low educational level. In views of risk factors or causative agents, there are 2 (two) main things we detected that is unhygienic condition or maintenance of the vaginal area and increasing age. Related to sign and symptoms majority of them aware almost all the sign and symptoms asked in the questionnaire paper. Those people were aware that regular pap smear that is Papanicolaou smear would screen cervical cancer and it is a preventable disease.
Conclusions: Females in this part of India were ill-informed about risk factors, signs and symptoms, and screening test of this specific malignancy. Detailed information on cervical cancer, its primary detection in pre-cancerous stage and subsequent counselling about treatment and follow-up is needed.
Keyword :
Cervical cancer, Knowledge, Practice, Screening.