Perception of Risks of Cervical Cancer Among University of Ghana Female Students

Abstract

Cervical cancer affects women between ages 15-44 years. Human Papillomavirus types 16 and 18 are the main causes of cervical cancer. Women with active sex life, who do not use condom during sexual intercourse, who have multiple sex partners, women who smoke and prolong use of oral contraceptives are mostly at risk. This study seeks to understand the perception of risks of cervical cancer among University of Ghana female students. The study was cross-sectional and employed the mixed methods approach. The quantitative aspect involved a systematic random sampling approach of 380 female students to whom questionnaire were administered. The qualitative aspect of the study involved conducting (3) Focus Group Discussion with female students. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviation and a Chi-square was used to test significant association between variables. Qualitative data were obtained from audio-recorded tapes and transcribed verbatim using descriptive content analysis to analyze them. Although majority of the respondents have adequate knowledge about the fact that cervical cancer affects the cervix of a woman, less than half of the respondents know that cervical cancer is caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The research also revealed a significant association between respondents‟ age and their knowledge on whether cervical cancer is the commonest among gynaecological cancers in Ghana at the p-value of ρ = .04. The study concludes that, there exist knowledge gap among female students about cervical cancer. The uneven, inadequate and the lack of factual information female students have about cervical cancer affects their decisions on cervical cancer screening.