Factors Affecting Utilization of Cervical Cancer Screening Services among Nurses in a Teaching Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria

Invasive cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women world-wide, 80% of these cases were discovered through records to be from developing countries. It can be readily detected in the premalignant phase, cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancer in Nigeria and fifth in the United Kingdom [1]. As a developing country, Nigeria is also battling with cervical cancer as a health problem; Olaniyi (2010) [4] reported that cervical cancer is the commonest female cancer and is the leading cause of female death in Nigeria. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was aimed at assessing and documenting factors affecting utilization of cervical cancer screening among Nurses in a teaching Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. A total of 180 questionnaires administered and retrieved from the nurses however only 177 (98%) met criteria for analysis. Hence, the respondent rate was 98.0%. The age of the respondent ranged from 23 to 59 years; the median age ± standard deviation was 40 ± 9.5 years. Majority of respondents 101 (57.1%) are afraid of cervical cancer screening procedure pain. Virtually all the respondents 140 (79.1%) has the believed that they are healthy and that they cannot have cervical cancer. Also 115 (65%) respondents were of the view that CCS does not consumes time 99 (55.9%) respondents disagrees that CCS is not accessible. 148 (41.8%) respondents disagrees with not been released by their husbands to go for CCS screening. Virtually all the respondents 149 (42.1%) negates their culture being against CCS. 93 (10.5%) respondents agrees that nurses do advocate for cervical cancer screening. There is no medical indication to go for cervical cancer screening 108 (61.1%) of the respondents disagree with this factor. 125 (70.6%) of the respondents opined that CCS money should be subsidized. The researchers within this study are of the opinion that rigorous health campaigns need to still be done as awareness and screening for this kind of cancer seems to be low. Nurses come in contact with patients on a daily basis and adequately sensitizing the nurses will go a long way in making the patients knowledgeable about this procedure and the benefits which accrue from undertaking this procedure.