Authors Keywords: HPV, Cervical Cancer, HPV Vaccine, School Teachers, Barriers Abstract

Background:

Cervical cancer is a preventable disease, and its prevention includes primary, secondary, and tertiary-level activities. Health education and vaccination against HPV are the primary components of prevention and early detection through widely available screening techniques are the secondary preventative measures. Given the rising cost of treatment and also keeping in mind the barriers in our healthcare delivery systems, the disease burden of cervical cancer in India remains a public health problem. The present study highlights the knowledge, awareness & perception among pre-primary school teachers of Dehradun about cervical cancer and its vaccination.

 

 

Aim & Objective:

To assess awareness & perception about cervical cancer, its causes, symptoms & signs, and available specific protection & services among pre-primary female school teachers of Dehradun and to find the socio-demographic factors/situations influencing awareness & perception of study subjects.

 

Settings and Design: Dehradun, Cross-sectional study

Methods and Material:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a span of 2 months in the sampled pre-primary schools of Dehradun city among the female teachers. The tool used is a pretested semi-structured questionnaire on knowledge, attitude & practice along with socio-demographic variables.

 

Statistical analysis used:

Data analysis was done using SPSS version 21, and Chi-square test was used to determine significant statistical correlation with the sociodemographic variables.

 

 

Results:

A total of 104 consenting female teachers from 23 sampled pre-primary schools took part in the study. Among the participants, 47% had heard about cervical cancer, 86% of them knew from the internet, approximately 80% didn’t know about the causative factors of cervical cancer and around 70% did not know the symptoms of the disease. One-fourth of the participants had heard about cervical cancer vaccination, while none of them had ever been vaccinated for the same. Only one-fifth of them knew pap smear as a screening procedure, but less than 3% of them got the test done. Chi-square test highlighted a significant p-value (< 0.05) for smoking, genital hygiene & multiple partners as risk factors and irregular menstruation & post-coital bleeding as symptoms for cervical cancer.

 

 

 

Conclusions:

The cervical cancer burden and other HPV related ailments can only be put on check by information, education and communication for the screening and prevention of the disease. In view of that even the literate, working female population of Dehradun are barely informed regarding the prevention of the disease. The study concludes the importance of awareness and health-seeking behaviour among the population about cervical cancer and its prevention.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

How to Cite

1.

Das M, Priyanka Dobhal, Debabrata Roy, Medhavi Rana. Awareness and perception of cervical cancer among pre-primary school teachers of Dehradun: A cross-sectional study . Indian Journal of Community Health [Internet]. 2025 Oct. 8 [cited 2025 Nov. 4];37(4). Available from: http://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/article/view/3315

Issue Section

Original Article

Dimensions Badge