Knowledge, and practice of cervical cancer prevention and associated factors among commercial sex workers in Shashemene Town, West Arsi, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: The distribution of deaths and morbidities related to cervical cancer is disproportionally higher in low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, there is a limited study on cervical cancer prevalence on Sex Workers, but a study conducted in Central America risk of developing HPV infection in sex workers is 2.5 times more than the general population. But a study conducted in the general population in Ethiopia reports that the incidence and mortality due to cervical cancer in Ethiopia is 26.4 and 18.4/100,000 respectively. However, there is limited data on knowledge and practice of cervical cancer prevention among sexual sex workers in Ethiopia. METHODS: A health institution-based cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the knowledge and practice of cervical cancer prevention and its associated factors among 405 women of commercial sex workers with a systematic random sampling technique and with an interviewr administered. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify associated factors of knowledge and practice towards cervical cancer prevention with a p value < 0.05. RESULT: In this study, three hundred eighty-five participants were included making a response rate of 95%. About half (50.1%) of respondents have knowledge regarding to cervical cancer, screening, and its prevention, and 20.3% of respondents were practiced cervical cancer screening. Having a history of use of combined oral contraceptives, AOR 2.190, (95% CI 1.374–3.492) and having a history of sexually transmitted infection, AOR 1.861, (95% CI 1.092–3.172). were significantly associated factors with knowledge of cervical cancer prevention. Regarding their uptake of cervical cancer screening, the level of knowledge was a significant factor, AOR 17.216 (95% CI 7.092–41.793). CONCLUSIONS: The study participants have an average knowledge of cervical cancer and its prevention and their practice was low as other women. Curtailing cervical cancer; through increasing their knowledge by integrating sexual and reproductive health services to cervical cancer screening clinics and equipping them with audiovisual materials that will increase their knowledge that end up with good uptake.