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Table 3 Knowledge on HPV infection, Pap smear, and cervical cancer (N = 256) a

From: HPV and cervical cancer related knowledge, awareness and testing behaviors in a community sample of female sex workers in China

 

Overall distribution (N = 256)

Correct answers by age group, N (%)

Knowledge item (correct response)

Yes

No

Don’t Know

18-24 years old (N = 125)

25 years and above (N = 131)

p-value

HPV is transmitted by sexual activities (yes)

77 (30.4%)

45 (17.8%)

131 (51.8%)

33 (26.4%)

44 (33.6%)

0.223

If a woman has an earlier sexual debut or has more sexual partners, she is more likely to have cervical cancer (yes)

109 (42.9%)

39 (15.4%)

106 (41.7%)

48 (38.4%)

61 (46.6%)

0.207

HPV infection increased the likelihood of getting cervical cancer (yes)

91 (35.5%)

13 (5.1%)

150 (59.1%)

36 (28.8%)

55 (42.0%)

0.036

Women should do pap smear once a year (yes)

106 (41.9%)

13 (5.1%)

134 (53.0%)

43 (34.4%)

63 (48.1%)

0.031

Women older than 21 yrs or have more than 3 yrs of sexual activities, should do pap smear every year (yes)

105 (41.5%)

12 (4.7%)

136 (53.8%)

43 (34.4%)

62 (47.3%)

0.042

The best time for HPV vaccine is age 11 to 12 yrs old (yes)

31 (12.3%)

35 (13.9%)

186 (73.8%)

11 (8.8%)

20 (15.3%)

0.128

If a woman receives HPV vaccine, she doesn’t need to do pap smear any more (no)

32 (12.6%)

65 (25.7%)

156 (61.7%)

30 (24.0%)

35 (26.7%)

0.668

Mean scoreb (SD, Range)

2.3 (2.3, 0–7)

2.0 (2.3,0-7)

2.6 (2.3,0-7)

0.026

  1. Notes: a Only included women who were aware of cervical cancer and HPV (n = 256) in the knowledge assessment; b Mean score is the sum of the correct responses to the seven items evaluating HPV knowledge.