Knowledge, Behaviour and Perceptions Affecting Control of HPV / HIV Co-Infection and Cervical Neoplasma Screening Among Patients with Cervical Cancer in Kenya

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to assess how Knowledge, behavior and perceptions affect Cervical Cancer screening and the control of HIV/ HPV Co-infection among patients with cervical cancer in Kenya. The following specific objectives guided the study; to weigh the knowledge, behavior, and perceptions on the understanding of the absorption of Cervical Cancer Screening and prevention strategies among women in Kenya. This was a crosssectional, descriptive and quantitative comparative study of cervical neoplasia screening and control strategies among women attending Kenyatta National Hospital and Coast Provincial General Hospitals in Kenya. The study was conducted at the Coastal region of Kenya particularly Mombasa County and all parts of Nairobi County over a twelve-month period at the Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) and Kenyatta National Hospital respectively. The target population for this work involved all female respondents who had tested positive for HIV and Cervical Cancer and have the results or they need further screening. Convenience sampling technique was used because of time constraints. Random sampling was used to identify participants. The study concludes that knowledge, behavior, and perceptions on absorption of Cervical Cancer Screening and prevention by women depend on initiatives that have been put in place to motivate and educate women on issues related to cancer screening. The study recommends that the need for community understanding of cervical cancer and the causal relationship between HPV and cervical cancer is usually poor, giving priority to continuing education on the significance of HPV prevention and periodic cervical Cancer screening.