Knowledge is Power? Pap Testing Habits of Female OB/GYNs Compared To Other Female Physicians

Background. To investigate whether knowledge regarding cervical cancer risk factors and Pap testing influence OB/GYN physicians’ compliance to cervical cancer screening and prevention.Methods. Female physicians working in the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire assessing their knowledge of cervical cancer related factors, Pap testing and compliance with screening guidelines. Reported data was compared between resident and senior OB/GYN physicians and physicians from non-OB/GYN specialties.Results. 42 female OB/GYNs ( residents – 18, seniors- 24) and 80 female physicians of other specialties (“non-OB/GYNs”, residents -48, seniors -32) volunteered to participate in our study, with similar proportions of resident and senior participents between the two groups (p=0.0865). Generally, OB/GYNs were more knowledgable about cervical cancer prevention and risk factors compared to non-OB/GYNs. OB/GYN residents knew less about world health organization (WHO) recommendations for age at last Pap compared to senior OB/GYNs (answered correctly – 50% vs. 83%, respectively, p=0.04). They also knew less about the upper age for vaccine administration (answered correctly – 11% vs 50%, respectively, p=0.01). Even so, the majority of physician recommended Human Papillomavirus vaccination, in all groups compared. A similar proportion of OB/GYNs and non-OB/GYNs had performed a Pap smear in the last 3 years (OB/GYN – 75% non-OB/GYN – 83%, p=0.3). Of note, a higher percentage of residents, both OB/GYNs and non- OBGYNs were vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus compared to their senior counterparts (OB/GYNs -38.89% vs. 4.17%, p=0.013, non-OB/GYNs 50% vs. 12.5%, p=0.0007). Only half of OB/GYNs (residents – 50%, seniors –66.67%, p>0.99) initiated their Pap testing, similar to non-OB/GYNs. Human Papillomavirus vaccination was more prevalent among residents than among seniors, regardless of their specialty (OB/GYNs – 38.89% vs. 4.17%, p=0.013, non OB/GYN – 50% vs. 12.5%, p=0.0007) with a trend toward higher porportions of vaccinated physicians in non-OBGYNs.Conclusion. Female OB/GYNs’ knowledge of the importance of Pap test and their accessibility to Pap smear services, do not improve their compliance for Pap smear performance or Human Papillomavirus vaccination. Residents tend to have better general personal health habits out of their field of specialty.

Knowledge and Attitude of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and associated Factors Among Adolescent School Girls in Ambo Town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, 2021

Background Large-scale HPV vaccination offers a revolutionary new tool, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where 86% of cervical cancer cases and 88% of related deaths occur. There is little research done on knowledge and attitudes towards HPV vaccine in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study attempts to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding HPV vaccination and related factors among adolescent girls in Ambo town, Oromia, Ethiopia, in 2021. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted from May 01 to 30, 2021, at selected schools of Ambo town among 422 adolescent Girls. The collected data were coded, entered, and cleaned by using Epi-Info 7.2.3 and exported to Statistical package for social science version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to compute summary statistics and proportion. Variables at a cut off value (0.25) on bivariate and (0.05) on multivariate logistic-regression were used to identify predictors that were associated to knowledge and attitude of HPV vaccine among Adolescent Girls Result Current study revealed that 24.9% (103) and 55.6% (230) of respondents had good knowledge and favorable attitude respectively. The factors like educational level (AOR=2.011 95% CI; (1.239, 3.265)), having health workers as a source of information (AOR=2.132, 95%CI; (1.304, 3.486)), and respondents who have heard about HPV vaccine at school (AOR=1.66, 95% CI (1.02, 2.71)) were significantly associated with respondent’s knowledge of HPV vaccine. Moreover, perceived severity of the diseases (AOR=2.894, 95%CI; (1.607, 5.21)), and perceived benefit of the vaccine (AOR=4.263 95% CI; (2.431, 7.475)) were the two factors significantly associated with attitude of the respondents about HPV vaccine. Conclusion There was poor knowledge and unfavorable attitude of HPV vaccination among the school Adolescents of the study area. Several seemingly major deterrents of knowledge and attitude of the HPV vaccination were identified. Therefore, awareness creation and behavioral change education is mandatory.

How Perceptions of Responsibility and Affective Consequences Influence Parents’ Digital Media Engagement in Relation to Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

Individuals are expected to be responsible for their own health and that of their families—and act accordingly. Yet, being in a position of responsibility might be undesirable for individuals either unable or reluctant to comply with the expectations this responsibility entails. In this article, I explore how parents experience the process of engaging responsibly with digital media in relation to the question of human papillomavirus vaccination. The study is based on interviews with eighteen Danish parents, and my findings show that these parents not only understand themselves but also other actors in terms of responsibility, and that being positioned in terms of responsibility can have negative affective consequences. I argue that meeting the expectations of biological citizenship should not necessarily be a goal in relation to complex health topics.