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Awareness and Practice of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Female Undergraduate Students in a Nigerian University

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Abstract

Cervical cancer screening enhances early detection which reduces morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study is to assess awareness and practice of cervical cancer screening amongst female students in a Nigerian university. A cross-sectional survey of 394 students was done. About 23.1% identified the Pap smear as a screening test. Only 5.2% of respondents had ever been screened and 52.8% reported willingness to be screened. The major reason for unwillingness to get a Pap smear was absence of symptoms (31.7%). There is a critical need to improve cervical cancer screening participation amongst female undergraduate students in Nigeria.

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Acknowledgement

We hereby acknowledge Imo Chima, Ugwuanyi Joseph, Okpala Chijioke and Okoye Paschal for their assistance in distributing the questionnaires used for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozalla Enugu, P.M.B 01129, Enugu State, Nigeria

    P. N. Aniebue

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozalla Enugu, P.M.B 01129, Enugu State, Nigeria

    U. U. Aniebue

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  1. P. N. Aniebue
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  2. U. U. Aniebue
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Correspondence to P. N. Aniebue.

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Aniebue, P.N., Aniebue, U.U. Awareness and Practice of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Female Undergraduate Students in a Nigerian University. J Canc Educ 25, 106–108 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-009-0023-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-009-0023-z

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