Background: Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent malignancy in women, and infection with the high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is required. Many risk factors linked with young people (15 to 24 years old) include frequent sexual partners, early sexual debut, and high HIV occurrences, all of which enhance the likelihood of acquiring cervical cancer. The current study was designed to examine medical students' knowledge about cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination.
Methods: One hundred people completed a standardised questionnaire, which was then analysed.
Results: The majority of students accurately assumed that cervical cancer is not the most frequent malignancy in females, and 77.5% believed that HPV is found in more than 50% of cases. Approximately 80% of respondents were aware that HPV is transmitted sexually, can be transmitted during pregnancy, and can affect both males and females. Although more than 80% of individuals were aware that an HPV vaccine is available, only 8.5% got inoculated. Though there existed knowledge, there were significant gaps with HPV vaccination, with the main concerns being safety, efficacy, and vaccine availability.
Conclusions: HPV is a vaccine-preventable malignancy, and health professionals may play an important role in promoting awareness and controlling the disease.
Key words: Knowledge, Attitude, Young people, Cervical cancer, India, Medical students
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