Awareness and Uptake of Gynaecological Cancer Screening Among Women Attending a Tertiary Facility in Abuja, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Gynaecological cancers remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in low- and middle-income countries. Early detection through screening improves outcomes, yet uptake is often low. Objective: To assess awareness and uptake of gynaecological cancer screening and to describe associated factors among women attending Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 women aged ≥18 years attending the gynaecology clinics at FMC Jabi. Participants were selected by systematic random sampling from January to April 2026. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were performed using SPSS version 26. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Awareness of gynaecological cancers was 79.5%. Knowledge that early detection improves survival was high (93.2%), and 86.3% correctly identified HPV as a cause of cervical cancer. However, only 28.8% of respondents had ever undergone screening (mainly Pap smear or HPV testing). Major barriers included cost of screening (54.8%), long waiting times (58.5%), distance to the facility (52.7%), fear/anxiety (46.6%), and strong preference for female providers (79.5%). Health workers were the main source of information (39.8%). Conclusion: Despite moderately high awareness, screening uptake remains low. Multifaceted interventions addressing cost, access, provider gender preference and health-system barriers are needed to improve early detection of gynaecological cancers.