Do university women know about the relationship between Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer?
Seemingly not enough. The incomprehension about what HPV is and its relation with cervical cancer, the non-use of condoms and the reduction of frequent consultations and gynecological exams, were the details found in a survey conducted in 2018 with university women, from Biology, Mathematics and Literature courses at the Regional University of Cariri - URCA, at the Campos Sales Decentralized Unit (CE). The research was titled as: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer: the understanding of university students from the decentralized unit of Campo Sales - CE, the study was published in USP's Revista da Biologia, and was conducted by student and professor of the Biological Sciences course at that university, Valéria Rufino da Silva and Luciene Ferreira de Lima, respectively.
In agreement with the survey, 72% of the female university students interviewed replied that didn't have knowledge about HPV. The researchers deduce that the unfamiliarity may be related to the lack of habit of performing gynecological exams. Therefore, for them, “information about STIs [Sexually Transmitted Infections] must be disseminated in all society environments for the age groups that may be exposed to contamination through sexual practice, including adolescents and young people” (SILVA and LIMA , 2020, p. 7).
In this way, the researchers affirm that it is necessary to develop actions, so that women have more access to knowledge about this topic, and from that allowing a healthier active sex life, adopting the habit of make gynecological exams frequently. Thus, preventing STIs that can bring risks and consequences to woman's health.
The research was conducted in three stages: 1) Authorization to perform in the research at the university; 2) Presentation of the research to female university students of the three courses and signature of the Free and Informed Consent Term (TCI); 3) Data collection through questionnaires. In all, the three selected courses brought together 720 enrolled students. 122 students participated in the research, 67 from the Biology course (between 19 and 45 years old), 25 from the Mathematics course (between 18 and 24 years old) and 30 from the Literature course (between 19 and 42 years old).
The questionnaire applied had eight objective questions divided into three axes of information, they are: 1) Beginning of sexual life; 2) Health habits; and 3) Information level about the HPV. In practice, the objective of the questions was to find out if women had an active sex life, if they used a condom, if they had more than one sexual partner, if they went to gynecological consultations and if they knew what HPV was and its relationship with cancer cervix. The answers were collected during the classes breaks and were of multiple choice: yes or no and maybe.
By Alan de Jesus
Journalist and specialist in Science Communication
Translation: Julia Sant'Ana Marques de Oliveira
