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Knowledge of and attitudes towards family planning and early detection of breast and cervical cancer in two female populations in Greece

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Sozial- und Präventivmedizin

Summary

This paper presents the results of surveys of contraceptive use, the frequency of induced abortions, the use of the Papanicolaou smear test and knowledge about the practice of breast self-examination in two female populations, characterized by a different socioeconomic level. There exist similar trends, as well as some remarkable differences between the two populations. Both of these populations included a high proportion of women who had undergone at least one abortion. Withdrawal and condom use were the most common contraceptive methods. About one third of women of the two populations had had a smear Pap-test carried out during the last year. 53.8% of the women in the population I and a 44.8% of the population II stated that they know how to practice breast self-examination.

Résumé

Cet article présente I'usage de méthodes contraceptives, la fréquence de I'interruption volontaire de la grossesse, la pratique du frottis cervical et la connaissance de I'autopalpation mammaire dans deux populations féminines grecques, caractérisées par un niveau socioéconomique différent. Nous avons constaté des tendances communes, ainsi que certaines différences remarquables. Les deux populations présentent und fréquence élevée d'IVG. Le coitus interruptus et le préservatif masculin sont les méthodes contraceptives les plus répandues. Une femme sur trois avait pratiqué le frottis cervical pendant I'année précédente. Le pourcentage des femmes qui connaissaient la pratique de I'autopalpation mammaire allait de 44.8% à 53.8% dans les deux populations.

Zusammenfassung

In diesem Artikel wird die Benutzung von Kontrazeptionsmethoden, die Durchführung des Papanicolaou-Tests, sowie die Kenntnis der Brust-Selbstuntersuchungsmethode, unter zwei griechischen, weiblichen Bevölkerungsgruppen, aus unterschiedlichen sozialen Schichten, dargestellt. Es werden gemeinsame Tendenzen, sowie einige bemerkenswerte Unterschiede beschrieben. Coitus interruptus und die Condombenutzung sind die geläufigsten Kontrazeptionsmethoden. Nur bei einer von drei Frauen wurde ein Pap-Test im Laufe des letzten Jahres durchgeführt. Der Prozentsatz der Frauen, die die Brust-Selbstuntersuchung können, betrug 44.8% in der einen und 53.8% in der anderen Gruppe.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, 24, Dimokritou STR, GR-10673, Athens, Greece

    Kiki Tsamandouraki, Yannis Alamanos & Yannis Tountas

Authors
  1. Kiki Tsamandouraki
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  2. Yannis Alamanos
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  3. Yannis Tountas
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Tsamandouraki, K., Alamanos, Y. & Tountas, Y. Knowledge of and attitudes towards family planning and early detection of breast and cervical cancer in two female populations in Greece. Soz Präventivmed 37, 136–141 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01624624

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