Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Mar 18;86(5):2591-2597.
doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000001935. eCollection 2024 May.

The level of medical students' knowledge regarding the prevention of cervical cancer

Oadi N Shrateh  1 , Ashna Habib  2 , Basil Jalamneh  3 , Belal M M Omar  1 , Mashhour Naasan  4
Affiliations

The level of medical students' knowledge regarding the prevention of cervical cancer

Oadi N Shrateh et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). .

Abstract

Background: In Palestine, cervical cancer is the third most common gynaecological cancer, exhibiting higher mortality rates compared to regional counterparts. Late-stage diagnosis and limited awareness contribute to this disparity. This study aims to assess the awareness of Palestinian medical students regarding cervical cancer prevention.

Methods: A questionnaire-based survey involving 532 medical students from various Palestinian universities was conducted between October 2023 and December 2023. The survey encompassed closed-ended quantitative and demographic questions distributed through social media.

Results: The study was carried out on a group of 532 medical students (66.3% women and 33.6% men), (average age 21.7 years). Most students (77.7%) knew that the main risk factor for cervical cancer was human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Participants doing the internship had the greatest knowledge, whereas students from the first year had the poorest knowledge about the main risk factors for cancer of the cervix. Only about half, 50.2% of all students, knew that in Palestine, there is no screening program. 84.4% of students correctly indicated that the cervical cancer screening test is a pap smear test. 41.4% of respondents knew that microscopic evaluation of the exfoliated cells from the vaginal part of the cervix is the screening test for cervical cancer which is used. Only about half of the students (45.1%) knew that there were no specific early symptoms of cervical cancer.

Conclusions: This study highlights the need for enhanced education, particularly regarding screening program awareness, among Palestinian medical students. Addressing these knowledge gaps is crucial for effective preventive strategies.

Keywords: HPV; cervical cancer; knowledge; palestine; prevention.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. This manuscript is not being considered by any other journal.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Women respondents’ awareness of risk factors and prevention of cervical cancer: (A) What is the main factor risk of cervical cancer? (correct answer: human papillomavirus); (B) Is cervical cancer genetically inherited? (correct answer: No); (C) What is the characteristic symptom of early-stage cervical cancer? (correct answer: There are no characteristic symptoms of cervical cancer); (D) What is the name of the screening test for cervical cancer? (correct answer: Pap test); (E) What is the screening test for cervical cancer? (correct answer: Microscopic evaluation of the exfoliated cells from the vaginal part of the cervix); (F) What is.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The women’s answers about the point of life when the first prophylactic test for cervical cancer should be done.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, et al. . Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin 2021;71:209–249. - PubMed
    1. Organization WH. Improving data for decision-making: a toolkit for cervical cancer prevention and control programmes. 2019. Accessed October 13, 2023. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241514255
    1. Cancer IAfRo. GLOBOCAN 2020: estimated cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence Gaza strip and west bank in 2020. Accessed October 13, 2023. https://bit.ly/2QUyO9Y
    1. Bank TW. Data for lower middle income. 2022. Accessed October 13, 2023. https://bit.ly/31N7Cw5
    1. Arbyn M, Weiderpass E, Bruni L, et al. . Estimates of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in 2018: a worldwide analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2020;8:e191–e203. - PMC - PubMed