Knowledge and Understanding about Cervical Carcinoma, Risk Factors and Prevention among Rural Women in Pandiruppu, and Maruthamunai Area, Ampara District of Sri Lanka: A Survey

Abstract

Cervical carcinoma has been regarded as the second most common form of cancer among women after breast and colorectal cancer. In Sri Lanka the second most common causes of deaths due to cancer among women is cervical carcinoma. According to the report of Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka in 2007, the estimated number of cervical carcinoma cases was 732. Awareness about cervical carcinoma and its prevention is quite less amongst Sri Lankan women. The deaths can be preventable due to cervical carcinoma by various strategies to women more than 30 years for screening and treatment. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and understanding of carcinoma of cervix in elite of symptoms, risk factors and prevention of cervical carcinoma among women. It is a cross sectional interview – based door to door survey was conducted in May 2012 and October 2014 among 523 women in Pandiruppu, and Maruthamunai Area, Ampara District of Sri Lanka to find out their knowledge, understanding, risk factors and prevention in cervical carcinoma. Overall 33.1% of the subjects had heard and knowledge about cervical cancer and 15% had knowledge about Pap smear. The women aged group 12.5 had knowledge about cervical cancer and 8% had Pap test once in their life. The main source of knowledge received about cervical carcinoma was television. The knowledge and understanding about prevention of cervical carcinoma was 22.9%. This results indicates that some awareness proportion of women were unaware of knowledge, awareness, risk factors and prevention in cervical carcinoma.

Keywords: Cervical cancer, Prevention, Risk factors, Knowledge, Awareness

Cite this Article

Farzana MUZN, Tharique IAl.Knowledge and understanding about cervical carcinoma, risk factors and prevention among rural women in Pandiruppu, and Maruthamunai area, Ampara district of Sri Lanka: a survey. Research and Reviews: Journal of Oncology and Hematology. 2015; 4(3): 1–4p.