IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS) e-ISSN: 2320–1959.p- ISSN: 2320–1940 Volume 3, Issue 3 Ver. I (May-Jun. 2014), PP 51-55 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 51 | Page Knowledge of cervical cancer screening among rural Indian women: a cross sectional study SuryapriyaBalan Thovarayi 1 , Judith Angelitta Noronha 2 , Shobha. Nayak 3 1 MSc Nursing student, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University, Manipal, India 2 MSc (N), M(Phil), PhD, Professor and HOD,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University, Manipal, India 3 MSc (N), Lecturer,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University, Manipal, India Abstract: Cervical cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the world and the second largest cause of cancer mortality in India. Currently India accounts for 1/4 th of the global cervical cancer burden . Though the incidence of cervical cancer has declined in developed countries, in developing countries like India where women do not undergo routine cervical cancer screening it is still a major problem. Purpose: This study was designed to assess the knowledge of cervical cancer, its symptoms, the Pap (Papanicolaou) smear test for screening and screening guidelines. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 407 women aged 21-65 years in a randomly selected village of udupitaluk in Karnataka. The data was collected using a valid knowledge questionnaire. Findings: Majority of the study population (98.5%, 401) had poor knowledge regarding cervical cancer screening. There was no apparent difference in the mean and standard deviation of knowledge scores in the different categories of cervical cancer (2.49±1.665), symptoms (0.43±0.496), Pap smear test (0.33±0.807) and screening guidelines (0.51±0.742). There is very poor knowledge of cervical cancer screening among women. Effective female education and mass screening are necessary for successful cervical cancer screening programme in India. Keywords: knowledge, cervical cancer, screening, rural, Pap smear test, Indian women I. Introduction Cervical cancer is the number one cause of death in middle aged women and 20 % of all cancer related deaths in women occur in India[1]. Cervical cancer is usually asymptomatic until nearby tissue is invaded by the cancerous cervical cells. The most common symptom is abnormal vaginal bleeding. However with adequate screening it can be detected in its early precancerous stage. Cervical cancer screening using the Papanicolaou (Pap) test prevents the development of cervical cancer by recognizing a precancerous state in the cervix and allows 90% of cervical cancers to be identified, treated and cured before it can spread.Pap smears have been shown to detect early cervical cellular abnormalities, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer [2]. But successfully organized, population-based cervical cancer screening programmes have not yet been implemented in most developing countries, despite the greatest burden of cervical cancer in these countries which is largely related to poverty, lack of resources and infrastructure and disenfranchisement of women [3]. Since early detection predicts better prognosis, one of the most effective ways of preventing and controlling cervical cancer is regular screening and early diagnosis. India has a population of 366.58 million women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. As reported by Tamil Nadu Systems Project with a Crude Incidence Rate of 23.5, current estimates indicate that every year 134,420 Indian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer with the figure for new cervical cases projected to reach 203,757 by 2025[4]. It is estimated that at present approximately 72,825 women die due to cancer of the cervix. By 2025, this number is projected to rise to 115,171. A lack of effective screening programs aimed at detecting and treating precancerous conditions is a key reason for the much higher cervical cancer incidence in developing countries. A study in a developing country showed that 70.6% of the respondents lacked knowledge of cancer of cervix and only 15.5% of the respondents had knowledge of cervical cancer screening [5]. Donta et al. (2012) reported that awareness of cervical cancer and Pap smear test among couples is low[3]. Dhamija et al. (1993) reported that younger women have better awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer and related information. Literacy status and exposure to family planning are influential in creating awareness about cancer cervix[6] Cervical cancer causes loss of productive life both due to early death as well as prolonged disability [7] In India, the Years of Life Lost (YLL) due to cervical cancer were 936.3 in 2000, being among the highest in the world, greater than the YYLs caused by any other cancer in India, and constituting almost 4% of total YYLs due