Knowledge and Awareness of Cervical Cancer among HIV-Infected Women in Ethiopia
Table 3
Awareness and knowledge of cervical cancer prevention (CCP) and treatment among HIV-infected women involved in the study, Ethiopia, August to September 2012.
Variable
Number
%
Is cervical cancer an avoidable/preventive health problem?
Yes
232
75.3
No
29
9.4
I don’t know
47
15.3
Is cervical cancer a treatable health problem?
Yes
204
66.2
No
34
11.0
I don’t know
70
22.7
Can cervical cancer be prevented through routine screening and precancerous lesion treatment?
Yes, agree
263
85.4
No, disagree
45
14.6
When should a woman seek care related to cervical cancer?
Once she is sexually active, she should be scheduled for screening
96
31.2
She needs to visit a health care facility only if she has a sign or symptom in her reproductive organs
133
43.2
I have no idea
79
25.6
What treatment do you know for women diagnosed with cervical cancer?
Surgery
28
9.1
Chemotherapy/radiation
61
19.8
No treatment, just waiting for death
19
6.2
I don’t know
205
66.6
What treatment do you know for women diagnosed with precancerous lesion?
Cryotherapy (treatment applied on the cervix that kills the cancer cell)
9
2.9
No treatment, just waiting for death
13
4.2
Others (counseling, vaccination, etc.)
12
3.9
I don’t know
274
89.0
What do you think is the reason that some women don’t want to get screened?
Fear of test result
135
43.8
Lack of information on cervical cancer and available preventive service
180
58.4
People are shy to talk about this type of issue
97
31.5
Many feel that they are healthy (low risk perception)
86
27.9
Because of rumors and myths about the test and treatment
49
15.9
Afraid of exposing their reproductive organ for examination and unwilling to receive care from male providers
40
13.0
Women don’t have enough money to travel to the service