title: Knowledge, attitude and practice of cervical cancer screening among women attending gynecology clinics in a tertiary level medical care center in southeastern Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of gynecology clinic attendees in a tertiary level healthcare center in Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted at Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria in December 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed, and 198 were properly completed. The 198 completely and properly filled questionnaires formed the basis of the analysis. Twenty-five (12.6%) of the women were aware of the cervical cancer screening test, while 173 (87.4%) had never heard of the test before. Only 8% of the respondents had knowledge of the prevention of cervical cancer, but none of them were aware of the introduction of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Twenty-one (84.0%) of those women who were aware of the cervical cancer screening test got their information from healthcare providers, 3 (12.0%) from television and 2 (8.0%) from radio. Of the 25 respondents who were aware of the cervical cancer screening test, 15 (60.0%) had received at least a Pap smear test. All of the screening was done as an opportunistic screening exercise. A total of 119 (85.0%) of the women were not able to be screened because they were not aware of the cervical cancer smear screening, while 4 (3.2%) felt that it was unnecessary. There is a significant association between the educational status and the knowledge of the cervical smear Pap test (chi2 = 10.14, p value = 0.001). Eighty (57.1%) of the women agreed that they would like to undertake cervical cancer screening, while 60 (42.9%) would decline the cervical cancer screening test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge about cervical cancer in this study was very low. This poor knowledge may limit the utilization of cervical cancer prevention programs. This study underscores the need to establish an intensive and sustainable awareness campaign on the prevention of cancer of the cervix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. kensunny30@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Sunday U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Mbamara
authors.forename: Okechukwu C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Ikpeze
authors.forename: John E N
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Okonkwo
authors.forename: Igwebuike V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Onyiaorah
authors.forename: Cornelius O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Ukah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult