Last update:
29-Sep-2025

OBJECTIVE To explore women's views on cervical cancer (human papillomavirus, HPV) prevention and the role of health care services in the search for new strategies to improve the role of health care services in primary and secondary prevention of the disease.

METHOD A structured questionnaire on women's attitudes and opinions about cervical cancer and its prevention, knowledge about HPV, the role of health care services, and the role of the state in primary and secondary prevention of the disease was used and answered by 131 women aged 18–66 in the first quarter of 2024.

RESULTS The majority of women have had a Pap test. A total 75.4% of the sample took the exam every year while 24.6% occasionally. The main reasons for not performing it were negligence and the absence of a symptom. Most of the participants were receptive to vaccinating themselves and their minor children, while the rest appeared wary of any side effects of the vaccine or were insufficiently informed. As a whole, they were incompletely informed about vaccination procedures in public health structures. They believed that raising awareness about the issue should begin at a young age and be integrated into school curricula. Women's opinions and attitudes about the above were directly related to educational level and less to age.

CONCLUSIONS The study population's knowledge of cervical cancer prevention and HPV is incomplete and patchy. Informing the population and implementing organized health education and screening programs is desirable and necessary.

Key words: Cervical cancer, HPV vaccination, Human papillomavirus, Prevention, Role of health care services.