UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective: This study analyze the basic knowledge of indigenous healthy or asymptomatic adult females about the importance of cervical cytology smears, assess the level of utilisation of cervical cytology screening services in Ibadan, and to make recommendations to improve existing cervical screening programmes.

Methods: The subjects for the present study were healthy asymptomatic adult females within the age range of 20 - 60 years. The subjects were randomly obtained from the five local government areas of Ibadan. Four major municipal hospitals, University College Hospital, Adeoyo State Hospital, Yemetu, Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, and Oluyoro Catholic Hospitals, Ibadan, were used to obtain subjects for the study. Other established hospitals and clinics within each of the five local governments areas served as additional catchment areas for the study. A questionnaire was administered to these subjects. Data obtained for the questionnaire included demographic data (age, marital status and parity), assessment of awareness of cancer of the cervix, assessment of knowledge of Pap smears, and assessment of utilisation of Pap smears.

Results: The study shows suggestions by the respondents on how the utilisation of Pap smear services can be improved. These suggestions included health education (25.3%), reduction of cost or introduction of free services by government (34.7%), and introduction of mobile clinics.