Awareness and Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Attending a Family Medicine Clinic

Background: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women, particularly in low‑resource settings. Early detection through screening can substantially reduce disease burden; however, awareness and uptake of cervical cancer screening remain low. This study aimed to assess the awareness and utilization of cervical cancer screening among women attending a Family Medicine clinic. Material and Methods: A hospital‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted among 420 women aged 21–65 years attending the Family Medicine outpatient clinic over six months. Participants were selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected through a structured, pre‑tested questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history, awareness of cervical cancer, and screening practices. Descriptive statistics and Chi‑square tests were used to assess associations, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Among the participants, the largest proportion were aged 31–40 years (30.0%), married (91.0%), and homemakers (66.2%). Awareness regarding cervical cancer was reported by 56.7% of women, while only 33.8% were aware of the Pap smear test. Uptake of cervical cancer screening was low, with 22.9% of women reporting ever being screened; Pap smear was the most commonly used method (75.0%). Among women who had never been screened, the main reasons were lack of awareness (43.8%), absence of symptoms (24.1%), and fear or embarrassment (13.0%). Women aware of cervical cancer and Pap smear testing were significantly more likely to undergo screening (34.5% vs 7.7%, p < 0.001; 45.1% vs 11.5%, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Awareness of cervical cancer and its screening is suboptimal among women attending Family Medicine clinics, resulting in low screening uptake. Targeted health education and opportunistic screening strategies within primary care settings are essential to improve participation and facilitate early detection.