CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING KNOWLEDGE AND UTILISATION AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN IFE EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OSUN STATE IN NIGERIA

Cervical cancer is a deadly disease claiming the lives of many women in developing countries due to late presentation which might be influenced by a lack of knowledge of the disease and its prevention. This descriptive study examined the knowledge of rural women about cervical cancer and its prevention, and their utilisation of Pap smear screening, using a convenience sample of 426 women in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria.   Women voluntarily completed an unstructured questionnaire through trained research assistants. Results showed that women who participated in the study were aware of cervical cancer (77%; n=328) but many (62.9%; n= 268) were unaware of Pap smears as the screening tests for cervical cancer. Although 41.3% (n=176) were knowledgeable about cervical cancer, risk factors and prevention, only 9.4% (n=40) had Pap smear tests done.   Health care professionals, especially community health nurses, need to intensify efforts to increase awareness about cervical cancer screening, and encourage women through the different clinics to use these services. The benefits of screening and early diagnosis of cervical cancer should be emphasized to enhance the utilization of cervical cancer screening services

Awareness, use and choice of emergency contraceptive among women in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Background: Immediate access to emergency contraceptives (EC) averts unintended pregnancy following unprotected sex or sexual assault due to ineffective prior contraceptive coverage. This study assessed the awareness, use and choice of EC among females of reproductive age (15-49) resident in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.Methods: The study was a community-based cross-sectional study. 400 consenting respondents completed a questionnaire on factors affecting awareness and use of EC. Data analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: Mean age (SD) of the respondents was 25.5±5.5 years ranging from 18 to 48 years. Majority of the respondents were single (72.2%) and had secondary education (68.5%). Twenty-one percent had previous unintended pregnancy with 14% having had induced abortion. Majority (51%) were aware of EC with friends (72.1%) and primary care workers (38.7%) as their commonest sources of information. Most (69%) were sexually active with the commonest previous EC use as Postinor (85.8%) and IUCD (14.2%). Major reason for EC use was pregnancy prevention (85.8%) while for non-use was fear of side effects (45.5%). Young age (OR=4.26, CI: 1.46-12.50, p=0.008), higher education (OR=3.77, CI=1.04-13.70, p=0.043) and awareness of EC (OR=10.86, CI: 5.54-21.28, p=0.001) were significant determinants of EC use.Conclusions: Many sexually active women were not aware of EC. Contraceptive education will improve EC awareness.Keywords: Emergency contraceptives, women, primary health workers, friend