Abstract 1619: Cervical cancer screening knowledge and behavior among female undergraduates

Abstract Background; Cervical cancer is a highly preventable disease that disproportionally affects women in developing countries with an estimated incidence rate of 33 cases per 100,000 women in Nigeria.. Over the year’s awareness and uptake of cervical cancer screening services have remained poor in developing countries. Lack of knowledge and poor attitude towards the disease and risk factors can affect screening practice and development of preventive behavior for cervical cancer Objective; This study assessed the level of knowledge and barriers towards cervical cancer screening among female university students. Method; We conducted a cross-sectional study of 234 female students at Ebonyi State University Abakaliki Nigeria from March to July 2017 using multistage sampling technique. Apretested questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, and screening history. Data were analysed with Epi info version 7.1.4. Results; Participants’ mean age was 22 years (sd=3).Of the respondents 79.5% were not aware of cervical cancer screening while 58.9% and 78.5% had poor knowledge on cervical cancer and Human papilomavirus vaccination respectively. Major sources of information were health workers 70% and 35% Radio while only 4.0% have had Pap smear test. Common barriers include lack of centres where such services are obtainable 88% and fear of cancer being discovered 9%. Reported risk factors were multiple sexual partners 24.2% and early onset of sexual intercourse 19.8%. A significant association was found between institutional and personal barriers and having a Pap smear test. Conclusion Comprehensive education on cervical cancer screening in universities is critical in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer. Few screening centres contributed to poor cervical screening uptake. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Joseph Agboeze, Matthew Igwe Nwali, Nkiru Ezeani. Cervical cancer screening knowledge and behavior among female undergraduates [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1619.