SEARCHCROSS-SECTIONALpublic health, epidemiology

cross-sectional·public health, epidemiology, oncology, obstetrics and gynecology, observational study·PMC10608646

Assessing the Level of Knowledge and Experience Regarding Cervical Cancer Prevention and Screening among Roma Women in Romania

Medicina · 7 authors, 4 centres

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TL;DR

The study found low rates of HPV vaccination and screening participation, indicating a significant lack of preventive health engagement in this population.

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The central result was a strikingly low engagement with preventive measures: 67.9% of respondents had not received any dose of the HPV vaccine, and only 37.1% had ever had a cervico-vaginal cytological examination. Limitations include the non-randomized sampling method and reliance on self-reporting.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

public health

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AI pipeline

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10608646

Assessing the Level of Knowledge and Experience Regarding Cervical Cancer Prevention and Screening among Roma Women in Romania

Medicina

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Background and Objectives : Romania ranks among the countries with a particularly high rate of mortality that can be prevented through prevention programs, screening, early detection, and prompt care. Cervical cancer (CC) is a major cause of these preventable deaths, affecting individuals from marginalized and rural regions, as well as the Roma population. The purpose of this article was to identify accurate and consistent information about the Roma population on the risk of CC, as well as the importance of understanding the causes of the disease and awareness of the available prevention methods. Materials and Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire applied only to Roma women in Romania. Results : We enrolled 759 patients in this study. These were divided into two groups: Group 1 comprised 289 (38.1%) women who had been tested for HPV infection, while Group 2 included 470 (61.9%) women who had never been tested for HPV infection. Characterization of women in Group 1: mostly aged between 25 and 54 years, with high school education, married, who started sexual activity under the age of 18 years, with only one sexual partner, and had over five pregnancies. Regarding contraceptive methods, 35.7% of women do not know or use any contraceptive method, and 32.2% use hormonal contraceptives. Two thirds of the women tested had heard of HPV, and 19.7% were vaccinated against HPV with at least 2–3 doses. A percentage of 8.7 had a diagnosis of CC, compared to those who were not tested ( p -0.0001), whereas 63% of the tested women did not know much about CC, as opposed to 85.7% of the group of untested women. Conclusions : Cervical cancer (CC) continues to be a public health concern in Romania, particularly among vulnerable groups. Promoting campaigns to raise awareness for HPV vaccination and CC screening are necessary to reduce the associated mortality and morbidity. Keywords: Roma women, screening, prevention, cervical cancer, HPV

CITATION EXPORT

Septimiu Voidăzan, Alexandra Mihaela Budianu, Rozsnyai Florin Francisc et al.. Assessing the Level of Knowledge and Experience Regarding Cervical Cancer Prevention and Screening among Roma Women in Romania. Medicina. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59101885

AUTHORS

7 · 4 CENTRES

Septimiu Voidăzan, Alexandra Mihaela Budianu, Rozsnyai Florin Francisc, Zsolt Kovacs, Cosmina Cristina Uzun, Bianca Elena Apostol, Reka Bodea

1Department of Epidemiology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania; [email protected] (S.V.); [email protected] (R.B.)
2Department of Obstetrics Gynecology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania; [email protected]
3Department of Biochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania; [email protected] (Z.K.); [email protected] (C.C.U.)
4General Medicine, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania; [email protected]