title: Knowledge and practice of cervical screening among female health workers in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have shown the importance of health care professionals as predictors of the use of cervical cancer screening.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the knowledge and utilisation of cervical cancer screening services in a cohort of subjects where awareness is naturally expected to be high.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional questionnaire survey of 159 female health care providers in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto. The sample included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and medical social workers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Knowledge of cervical cancer screening is high among the respondents. However, only 4.4 % had availed themselves of the opportunity for the test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health care providers should improve on opportunistic screening. It is necessary for a national screening policy to be formulated and implemented in Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto.
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Nwobodo
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Malami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000523:psychology*