Levels of Awareness and Participation in Pap Smear Screening among Cervical Cancer Patients before Diagnosis at Medserve-Luth Cancer Centre

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most prevalent cancer among women in the world, especially in Sub-Saharan African countries like Nigeria. Pap smear is the most effective method for cervical cancer screening and prevention, yet utilization remains low. This study assessed awareness and participation in Pap smear screening among cervical cancer patients before diagnosis at MEDSERVE-LUTH Cancer Centre (MLCC).
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 198 histologically proven CC patients at MLCC. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire capturing socio-demographic characteristics, awareness, participation in Pap smear screening, and barriers to utilization. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 27. Associations between awareness, participation, and socio-demographic factors were assessed using Pearson Correlation tests, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: The mean age of respondents was 38.8 ± 6.0 years. Only 49.7% of participants had heard of the Pap smear test, with the majority citing media (25.1%) and family/friends (16.1%) as sources of information, while only 4.5% learned from healthcare providers. Misconceptions were common, with 35.2% believing the test detects sexually transmitted infections. Participation in screening was very low, with only 12.1% ever having undergone a Pap smear, mostly once or twice. Barriers included low perceived risk (55.3%), cost (11.1%), lack of knowledge (9%), fear of results (6%), and cultural or religious beliefs (56.3%). Awareness was significantly associated with participation (p = 0.000). Other factors influencing participation included religion (p = 0.015), ethnicity (p = 0.017), occupation (p = 0.009), income (p = 0.030), and parity (p = 0.035).
Conclusion: Awareness and participation in Pap smear screening among CC patients before diagnosis were critically low, with widespread misconceptions and socio-cultural barriers limiting utilization. Interventions to improve awareness, reduce costs, and integrate culturally sensitive screening education into routine healthcare are urgently needed to enhance preventive oncology in Nigeria and similar settings.

Cervical Cancer, Pap smear screening, Awareness, Participation, Barriers, Preventive Oncology

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