Receptivity and Factors Associated with Cervical Cancer Preventive Measures in a Capital City of Northern Brazil
Cervical cancer is the second most common form of cancer among women in Northern Brazil. This study evaluated receptivity to the HPV vaccine and adherence to the Cervical Cancer Prevention exam (CCP) among Primary Care users in the city of Palmas, Brazil, in addition to identifying the socio-cultural factors and knowledge about HPV and vaccination. The researchers sampled 664 users from 30 community health centres across Palmas. Overall, HPV vaccine receptivity by users was 85%. Adherence to the CCP was 67% among the women surveyed. Inadequate knowledge about HPV and the vaccines was considerable, at 70% and 44%, respectively. Adequate knowledge about the virus and the HPV vaccination was associated with greater receptivity to child vaccination and adherence to CCP. It was observed that insufficient knowledge about HPV and the vaccine may impair people’s involvement with the preventive measures proposed by primary healthcare practitioners. These results reinforce the importance of education in health in disease prevention.