Assessment of knowledge, awareness, attitude and perception about Cervical Cancer screening and vaccination among college-going girls of Delhi University, India

BACKGROUND: The worldwide burden of cervical cancer is exposing a sharp divide between low and middleincomecountries including India. This study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge, awareness, attitudes, andperceptions regarding cervical cancer screening and vaccination among female university students in Delhi, India.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted involving 306 female studentsaged 17-35 years from Delhi University. Data collection utilized a semi-structured questionnaire, and analysis wasperformed using IBM SPSS version 22. RESULTS: The study revealed that 70.6% of participants were familiarwith cervical cancer, yet only 20.3% knew screening tests. Awareness of risk factors and the connection betweenHPV and cervical cancer was found to be limited. Participants primarily obtained information from social mediaplatforms and family members. The main obstacles to screening and vaccination were identified as insufficientinformation (83.4%), concerns about adverse effects (62.9%), and financial constraints (58%). Notably, only 60.5%of respondents expressed willingness to receive the HPV vaccine. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a significantgap in the comprehensive understanding of cervical cancer, screening methods, and HPV vaccination among youngfemale college students. These findings emphasize the crucial need for targeted public awareness initiatives andsuggest considering the integration of HPV vaccination into India’s national immunization program as a strategy toaddress cervical cancer.