Assessing the awareness and level of conciousness about cervical cancer, cervicovaginal smear and hpv: A survey

As in all types of diseases, improving technology and alternative threatment methods affect screening programs, diagnoses and treatment processes in cancer patients. While building the awareness level; either media and/or social relations with relatives or pers make up the perception about the diseases. The human nature can understand everything better by means of disintegration. Due to this, consciousness, cognition and awareness are of importance. These terms are somehow related and strongly correlated to each other. Cervical cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer. The women need to develop their awareness and increase their consciousness level about HPV and cervical cancer so that they would allow HPV vaccines to be administered to them. Based on this hypothesis, I have conducted this thesis to investigate the awaraness of Turkish women living in Afyonkarahisar about HPV and ccaervical cancer. The study cohort included 200 patients who were admitted to the out-patient clinics of the study hospitals. It had been observed that these patients were not aware of HPV and cervical cancer as much as they should be. Moreover, it had been determined that awareness about HPV and cervical cancer was significantly higher in women who graduated from university, had a profession, resided at town centers and used internet. These data indicate that screening programs for cervical cancer in Turkey should target the women who have primary education level, reside in villages, and do not use internet. It should be provided that these women should have easy access to screening and education programs desgined for cervical cancer.