title: Perception and practices on screening and vaccination for carcinoma cervix among female healthcare professional in tertiary care hospitals in Bangalore, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer is potentially the most preventable and treatable cancer. Despite the known efficacy of cervical screening, a significant number of women do not avail themselves of the procedure due to lack of awareness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to elicit information on the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding screening (Pap test) and vaccination for carcinoma cervix among female doctors and nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore and to assess barriers to acceptance of the Pap test.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire among female health professionals. The study subjects were interviewed for KAP regarding risk factors for cancer cervix, Pap test and HPV vaccination for protection against carcinoma cervix.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher proportion of doctors 45 (78.9%) had very good knowledge as compared to only 13 (13.3%) of the nurses, about risk factors for cancer cervix and Pap test (p=0.001). As many as 138(89.6%) of the study subjects had favorable attitude towards Pap test and vaccination, but 114 (73.6%) of the study subjects never had a Pap test and the most common reason 35 (31%) for not practicing was absence of disease symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of good knowledge and attitudes towards cancer cervix and Pap test being good, practice remained low among the study subjects and most common reasons for not undergoing Pap test was absence of disease symptoms. The independent predictors of ever having a Pap test done was found to be the occupation and duration of married life above 9 yrs. Hence there is a strong need to improve uptake of Pap test by health professionals by demystifying the barriers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Rajarajeswari Medical College, Bangalore, 560054, India E-mail : swapnajaswanth@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swapnajaswanth
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suman
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Suryanarayana
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Murthy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010465:Perception; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063128:Tertiary Health Care; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014626:Vaginal Smears