Knowledge and Practices of Primary Care Users about Cervical Cancer Control

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the female population worldwide, with its incidence and mortality more accentuated in low-income countries, which have less structured health services and less coverage for disease screening. Objective: To analyze the appropriateness of the knowledge and practices that users of a basic health unit (BHU) in Juiz de Fora – MG have on cervical cancer screening, considering as reference the recommendations of the National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva (INCA). Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire applied to users of a BHU in the age group from 25 to 69 years old for two weeks. Prevalence of adequate practices and their associations with sociodemographic factors were estimated. Results: All the women were already cognizant of the cytopathological examination and the majority (77.9%) was aware of its purpose. However, none demonstrated complete adequate knowledge about the recommended age range and frequency to screen these neoplasms. The prevalence of appropriate practice was of 17.4% (CI95%: 11.8-23.1%), with a higher proportion for the age group over 50 years. Conclusion: The users’ knowledge about INCA’s recommendations on primary health care for cervical cancer screening is very precarious.