Awareness Regarding Pap Smear Among Female University Students of Karachi: A Cross-sectional Survey

Objective: To determine the knowledge and practices regarding Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test among female university students of Karachi. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 491 female university students of Karachi. Participants were selected by random sampling between the ages of 18 to 30 years; from different universities namely Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), and Institute of Business administration (IBA). Pearson chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U tests were applied as the primary statistical methods. Results: Out of 491 participants, three-quarters of the participants knew about the Pap smear test. However, only 1.6% had undergone the procedure. Age, socioeconomic status (SES), and medical background all had a significant relationship with the awareness of Pap smear test. One-third of the females in the study blamed lack of knowledge as the major reason for not getting a Pap smear while another third blamed the lack of recommendation by health care professionals. Conclusion: According to our study, female undergraduate students of Karachi have insufficient knowledge and exposure to Pap smear, a screening test that could decrease the burden of cervical cancer among the female population of our country. Further research is required to assess the severity of the problem and consequently strategize to control it.