Papanicoalou

SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad

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Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad

10-1-2009

Conocimientos, Percepciones, y Prácticas de Mujeres Jóvenes Acerca del Papiloma Virus Humano
Michelle Marie Picón Ruiz
SIT Study Abroad

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Community Healthand Preventive Medicine Commons, and the Public Health Education and Promotion Commons Recommended Citation
Picón Ruiz, Michelle Marie, "Conocimientos, Percepciones, y Prácticas de Mujeres Jóvenes Acerca del Papiloma Virus Humano" (2009). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. Paper 732. http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/732

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Picón Ruiz 1

Conocimientos, percepciones, y prácticas de mujeres jóvenes acerca del papiloma virus humano Michelle MariePicón Ruiz SIT: Public Health and Community Welfare Fall 2009

Consejero de la investigación: Felipe Gajardo, M.D. Directora Académica: Rossana Testa. Lic, MGP, MBA, Ph.D.

Picón Ruiz 2 Abstract Background: Efforts by the Chilean Ministry of Health to reduce the mortality rates due to cervical cancer by 40% during 2000 - 2010 have successfully impacted every age group except for young womenbetween the ages of 20-24. Cervical cancer is caused by Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), the most common Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Both are detected by the Papanicolaou test, or Pap smear. Cervical cancer found in older women most likely developed from an HPV infection contracted in their youth. This study aims to understand the knowledge, practices, and perceptions that young women inArica, Chile have about their sexual health that may be related to the rates of HPV infections and ensuing cases of cervical cancer. Methods: This study was conducted at the health clinic of a local university. In the waiting room, women were randomly approached until ten had been found who had initiated sexual relations but had not yet gotten a Pap smear. These ten women were interviewed about theirsex education, knowledge about HPV, sexual activity, perceptions of risk of HPV infection, and knowledge and perceptions about Pap smears and campaigns promoting them. Their responses were analyzed to determine their level of knowledge of HPV and Pap smears and find relations between that, socio-cultural variables, sexual practices, and perceptions that might provide explanations for the high ratesof HPV infection and new ways to decrease them. Results: Even the women who had received sex education knew little to nothing about HPV. Only one woman was able to correctly identify more than three facts about the virus. Six women knew that it is an STI, and four knew that it is related to cervical cancer, but only two people were able to identify any risk factors, and none knew that it isasymptomatic. Half of the women thought that Pap smears are used to detect cervical cancer, and two thought that they detect STIs. Only one woman knew that Pap smears are used to detect HPV. Their perceptions about Pap smears revealed that most had not gotten one because they did not perceive it as necessary yet, or had low personal risk perception. Six women reported sexual practices that raise theirrisk of HPV infection, including early sexual initiation, three or more sexual partners, random sexual partners, and not using a condom. Only one of them perceived risk of infection. Conclusions: The women’s poor knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer, and Pap smears revealed the inadequacy of the sex education imparted by schools. Sex education from families should also be promoted because mothers,...