Knowledge, attitudes and uptake of cervical cancer screening among females working in Kikoni, Makerere

Abstract

Introduction. Uganda Ministry of Health recommends screening for women between the age of 25 to 49 years however there’s a very low uptake of screening in urban areas of the country yet early screeing has shown to have the most impact in control of the disease. Similar studies conducted have shown the lack of awareness and negative attitudes of women towards cervical cancer screening as impediments to early screening. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and uptake of cervical cancer screening among females working in Kikoni, Makerere. Methodology This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among 262 females that were 25 and above working in Kikoni Makerere, Kampala district. Multistage sampling method was used to select respondents. Data was collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaires and analysis was done using STATA software. Results A high proportion of the respondents had heard about cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening (92.75%) and (79.06%) respectively. Having multiple sexual partners was the most frequently mentioned risk factor of cervical cancer (22.9%) followed by long-term use of contraception pills (8.78%). The most mentioned sign and symptom of cervical cancer was vaginal bleeding in between periods (17.55%) followed by persistent lower back ache (6.87%). Majority of the participants got most their information about cervical cancer through television/ radios (48.97%) and health facilities (27.98%). Over half of the respondents (52%) believed that screening is important in fighting cervical cancer. However, the uptake of cervical screening among the respondents was very low with only 26% (69/262) to have undergone screening. Conclusion. There was a very low uptake of cervical cancer screening among the participants despite them having positive attitudes towards screening.