Cervical Cancer: Community Perception and Preventive Practices in an Urban Neighborhood of Lagos (Nigeria)

Table 2

Knowledge of cervical cancer.

Variable	Frequency (%)
Heard of cervical cancer	(𝑛=317)
Yes	118 (37.2)
No	199 (62.8)
Risk factor for cervical cancer	(𝑛=118)
HIV	10 (8.5)
HPV	6 (5.1)
Bacteria	17 (14.4)
Do not know	85 (72.0)
1st source of information about cervical cancer	(𝑛=118)
TV	46 (39.0)
Radio	36 (30.5)
Magazine	6 (5.1)
News	7 (5.9)
Health talk	22 (18.6)
Others	1 (0.8)
Knowledge of anyone with cervical cancer	(𝑛=118)
Yes	22 (18.6)
No	96 (81.4)
Have been recommended for screening	(𝑛=118)
Yes	25 (21.2)
No	93 (78.8)
Early detection of cervical cancer is helpful	(𝑛=317)
Yes	196 (61.8)
No	13 (4.1)
Do not know	108 (34.1)

About a third of respondents (37.2%) had heard about cervical cancer prior to the survey. Among these, only 5.1% of the respondents identified human papilloma virus (HPV) as the major risk factor for cervical cancer. The commonest source of information about cervical cancer was via television (39.0%), while 18.1% of respondents knew someone who had had the disease. Despite the fact that only 37.2% had heard of cervical cancer, over half of the respondents (61.8%) were aware of the importance of early detection.