Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and Practice of Pap Smear Testing among Secondary School Teachers in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, South Eastern Nigeria

Introduction: Cervical cancer is one of the commonest cancers of the female genital tract and accounts for about a hundred and ninety thousand deaths each year, most of which occur in developing countries. Early cervical screening methods have contributed to the fall of cervical cancer deaths in the developed world. This is different in developing countries where people have limited knowledge about this disease condition and the screening methods for prevention. This study determined the knowledge and practice of cervical cancer screening among female secondary school teachers in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which self-administered questionnaires were returned by 142 respondents and results were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 35.6 ± 1.76 years. A high proportion of the respondents were aware of cervical cancer 106 (74.6%). About 44 (41.5%) knew of cervical cancer screening by Pap smear, out of which only 20.5% had done a pap smear. The most common reasons given for not doing the test were; not deeming the test necessary, not knowing where the test could be done and feeling of not being at risk of developing cervical cancer. Conclusion/Recommendation: Though the level of awareness of cervical cancer screening was high, the level of uptake of Pap smear was still very low. A national cervical cancer Pap smear campaign should be intensified to change the negative perception towards Pap smear test.