Family Practice Vol. 20, No. 1, 93-94
© Oxford University Press 2003
Correspondence |
Perceptions of risk of cervical cancer and attitudes towards cervical screening
St George’s Hospital Medical School London SW17 0RE UK
Correspondence to Frances Iles, 62B Gilbey Road, Tooting, London SW17 0QG, UK; E-mail: frankieiles{at}hotmail.com
In their study of 722 women aged 20–64 years, Marteau et al. found that smokers seemed unaware of their increased risk of cervical cancer.1 We investigated awareness of Chlamydia in 15- and 16-year-old students attending a comprehensive school in Hampshire. In May 2002, we conducted a cross-sectional, confidential questionnaire survey of 239 students in year 11 to investigate their knowledge of Chlamydia infection. The questionnaire was given out to all 239 students in year 11 who were present in school on the day of the study. The response rate was 100% (239/239). All the students filled it in and responded to every question. Fifty-two per cent were male. The mean age was 15.4 years (range 15–16). Thirty-seven per cent (89/239) of responders had never heard of Chlamydia: 54% (67/124) of males and only 19% (22/115) of females, P < 0.0001. Fifty-five per cent of the sample did not know how they could get Chlamydia (77% of males and 31% of females), and 54% did not know how they could avoid catching it (76% of males but only 31% of females). Seventy-nine per cent did not know any effects of getting Chlamydia (86% of males and 71% of females).
These results highlight the low awareness of Chlamydia infection among this group of 15- and 16-year-old school children. We found a significant difference between the knowledge in male and in females. More research is needed to assess the impact of different approaches to education regarding sexually transmitted infection. Research should be done to find out if this gender difference is present in all schools, why it exists and whether the low level of knowledge in boys may make a difference to the prevalence of the infection.
As Marteau et al., we agree that future health promotion interventions are needed not only with adults but also with teenagers.
References
1 Marteau TM, Hankins M, Collins B. Perceptions of risk of cervical cancer and attitudes towards cervical screening: a comparison of smokers and non-smokers. Fam Pract 2002; 19: 18–21.
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