KNOWLEDGE OF VIA METHOD CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING AMONG WRA IN SEDATI PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer ranks as the second leading cause of death among women after breast cancer, with its high mortality rate primarily due to low awareness and inadequate early detection. Most patients seek medical care at advanced stages of the disease. Object This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge regarding cervical cancer screening using the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) method among women of reproductive age in Sedati Gede Village, working area of the Sedati Public Health Center, Sidoarjo Regency. Method: This research utilized a quantitative descriptive design with a population of 151 women of reproductive age (WRA) living in Neighborhood Association (NA) 08. A total of 100 WRA were selected through proportional cluster sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire with the variables of age, education, occupation, and sources of information obtained by WRA and analyzed using frequency and percentage distribution. Results: Knowledge levels were generally good across all demographic groups. Based on age, all categories demonstrated had good, particularly those aged 20–40 years. In terms of education, most WRA with elementary school education had good, though a few had poor, while all  with diploma or bachelor’s degrees demonstrated good. Based on occupation, government employees, private employees, and entrepreneurs all of them had good knowledge. While unemployed, students most of them had good knowledge. In terms of information sources, all information from print media had good, and almost all who received information from health workers and electronic media also had good.