Cervical Cancer Screening Utilization and Associated Factors in Hawassa, Ethiopia, 2023: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Cervical cancer is a major health concern worldwide, including in low- and middle-income countries. Regular screening is essential for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of cervical cancer screening practice among health professionals working at Hawassa City public health facilities and identify associated factors. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 24 - May 24 2023 among 407 study subjects selected using a simple random sampling technique in public health facilities of Hawassa city, Sidama, Ethiopia. A pretested self- administered structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were coded and entered in to Epi Data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics were used to describe characteristics of participants according to the type of variables. To identify the factors associated with the utilization of cervical cancer screening, bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% CI were estimated to assess the strength of associations and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. Results: The findings revealed that the overall magnitude of cervical cancer screening practice among female health professionals in Hawassa City was found to be 22.45% (95% CI: 18.4–27.0). Among the factors associated with cervical cancer screening practice, Work experience (AOR = 2.764; 95% CI: 1.192–6.407), multiple sexual partners (AOR = 2.763; 95% CI: 1.468–5.202), and knowledge about cervical cancer screening (AOR = 1.987; 95% CI: 1.088–3.629) were found to be significantly associated in the logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: The study found that cervical cancer screening practice among health professionals was low (22.45%). Factors associated with screening included work experience, multiple sexual partners, and knowledge of screening. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to enhance awareness, knowledge, and accessibility to screening among health professionals in Hawassa City.