title: Awareness and practice of cervical cancer screening among female undergraduate students in a Nigerian university.
abstract: Cervical cancer screening enhances early detection which reduces morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study is to assess awareness and practice of cervical cancer screening amongst female students in a Nigerian university. A cross-sectional survey of 394 students was done. About 23.1% identified the Pap smear as a screening test. Only 5.2% of respondents had ever been screened and 52.8% reported willingness to be screened. The major reason for unwillingness to get a Pap smear was absence of symptoms (31.7%). There is a critical need to improve cervical cancer screening participation amongst female undergraduate students in Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozalla Enugu, P.M.B 01129, Enugu State, Nigeria. naniebue@yahoo.com
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Aniebue
authors.forename: U U
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Aniebue
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D012307:Risk Factors; D014495:Universities; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult