Prevalence of Cervical Cancer Screening and Awareness among Women in an Urban Community in South India—A Cross Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of cervical cancer has declined in developed countries, cervical cancer remains a major problem in those that are developing. Past studies suggest that Indian women, who account for at least one-fourth of the global disease burden, are not routinely screened. OBJECTIVES: Among the women living in our low-income urban community in South India, we sought to determine the prevalence of screening and to assess women’s knowledge of cervical cancer. METHODS: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey evaluating cancer screening prevalence among women aged 25–65 living in the communities served by our clinic. We also assessed knowledge of cervical cancer, screening and the HPV vaccine in a subset of 175 women in the same age range. FINDINGS: Prevalence data was available for 1033 women. Of these,14.3% had at least one lifetime pelvic exam and 7.1% had undergone cervical cancer screening. Women who were married below the age of 18, who belonged to non-Hindu religion, and who were from a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to be screened. Women who were single did not undergo screening. With regard to knowledge of cervical cancer, 84.6% of women had poor knowledge, 10.3% had moderate knowledge, and 5.1% had good knowledge. Women aged 41 years or younger had better knowledge of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Very few women are screened for cervical cancer and few have adequate knowledge of the disease within this South Indian community. These findings suggest opportunities for a community-based education and screening campaign to reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer within this population.