Cervical cancer screening in Jordan; a review of the past and an outlook to the future – facts and figures

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to assess the attitude, knowledge, and behaviour of Jordanian women toward cervical cancer screening and its phenomenal role in preventing the disease, and to identify the defects and obstacles in the national screening programs for early detection of this manageable kind of malignancy. Material and methods: A prospective study via a questionnaire that included the demographic data, knowledge, behaviour, and attitude among Jordanian women about the cervical screening program using face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: Among 655 women who responded to the questionnaire, 340 (51.9%) reported having no idea about the smear, 350 (53.4%) had completed higher education, 84 (12.84%) were not happy to be screened, and 53 (8.09%) were afraid of the result being positive for malignancy. The shocking and scandalous upshots reported that 600 women (91.6%) had no idea about the role of vaccination against this threatening disease. CONCLUSIONS: Screening programs occupy a limited space among the health care provider’s priorities. The health education and national awareness strategy regarding cervical cancer should be adopted and implemented in primary health care units. The media with its different facets and platforms must take responsibility and share this national cancer education battle. The once-in-a-lifetime screening test should be adopted urgently, being the most important step, because it represents the minimum correct starting point to lessen the future burden on the national healthcare system and benefit the health of the target groups.