In cancer prevention programs, healthcare professionals are
the main resource for ensuring community participation in cervical cancer
screening as well as in enhancing individuals' knowledge and practices
regarding cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV), and HPV vaccines.
This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to
determine Turkish hospital nurses' knowledge, awareness, and practices in
relation to cervical cancer, HPV, and HPV vaccination.
This study was conducted from February 1 to March 30, 2013.
A total of 464 nurses working in a university hospital located in the central
Black Sea region in northern Turkey participated.
Among participating nurses, 13.8% of the nurses underwent
cervical cancer screening and 11.6% received Pap smear tests. Reasons for not
engaging in cervical cancer screening included lack of sexual activity, not
considering themselves to be at risk, and shame (28.2%, 18.3%, and 16.8%,
respectively). None of the nurses had received the HPV vaccine; reasons
included not having sufficient knowledge about the vaccine and a belief that
the vaccine was not very common (57.3% and 20.7%, respectively). Nearly half
(44%) stated that they would not recommend the HPV vaccine to their patients
because they did not believe they had sufficient knowledge about it (56%).
Knowledge about HPV infection and HPV vaccines and
willingness to be vaccinated were very low among Turkish hospital nurses.
Effective education strategies are needed to improve knowledge needed to
support patients to receive effective cervical cancer screening and preventive
services.
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- 1Zeliha Koç, PhD, is Associate Professor, Samsun School of Nursing, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Turkey. Tuğba Çinarli, MSc, is Research Assistant, Health Science Institute, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
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