Beyond Awareness: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, Screening Practices, and Perceived Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Silvassa: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern among women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the availability of effective screening methods, inadequate awareness, negative perceptions, and various barriers contribute to poor screening utilization.
Aim: To assess knowledge, attitudes, screening practices, and perceived barriers regarding cervical cancer screening among women attending a tertiary care hospital in Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study is proposed among 427 women aged 25–65 years attending the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Outpatient Department. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, screening practices, and perceived barriers. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression will be used for analysis.
Results: In an illustrative synthetic dataset, 63.5% of women were aware of cervical cancer, while only 14.5% had previously undergone screening. Although 76.8% considered screening important, knowledge regarding HPV infection remained limited (33.5%). The main hypothetical barriers included lack of awareness (60.0%), absence of symptoms (44.9%), fear of diagnosis (38.1%), and embarrassment (33.2%). These figures are simulated and do not represent actual study findings.
Conclusion: The proposed study will investigate the relationship between cervical cancer awareness and screening uptake, while identifying barriers to preventive healthcare. Its findings may inform targeted educational interventions, improved counselling, and accessible screening services.
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References
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