Assessment of Sexual Health and Use of Cervical Cancer  Screening among the Female Working Population

Ivana Simic  Vukomanovic; Sanja  Kocic; Vladimir  Vukomanovic; Katarina Janicijevic; Marija  Šorak; Vera Simic; Svetlana  Djukic; Slavica  Djordjevic; Svetlana  Radevic

doi:10.18502/ijph.v53i1.14696

Ivana Simic Vukomanovic Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Sanja Kocic Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Vladimir Vukomanovic Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Katarina Janicijevic Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Marija Šorak Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Vera Simic Department of Nursing, Secondary Medical School ''Beograd'', Belgrade, Serbia
Svetlana Djukic Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Slavica Djordjevic Department of the High School of Health, Academy of Vocational Studies, Belgrade, Serbia
Svetlana Radevic Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v53i1.14696

Keywords: Sexual health; Cervical cancer screening; Working population; Central Serbia

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer occupies a significant place in the overall structure of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. We focused on the sexual health and use of cervical cancer screening among the female working population of reproductive age in Central Serbia.

Methods: The research was conducted as a cross-sectional study, according to the methodology Stepwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance WHO. The study population consisted of 1182 female working population aged 18-49 years, living on the territory of Central Serbia. The method of simple random sampling was utilized in the research itself. An anonymous standardized questionnaire was used as a research tool.

Results: During the first sexual intercourse, 38.9% of the participants reported not having used any of the contraceptives, whereas 74.5% of the participants reported not having used them during their last sexual intercourse and 26.1% of the respondents reported not having had a single Pap smear in their lifetime. The multivariate logistic regression analysis singled out the following factors in women who reported not having done a Pap smear in their lifetime as the most significant ones: age – the youngest age group (OR = 3.30, CI = 1.80-6.04), unemployment (OR = 2.87, CI = 0.07-3.40), women who had never been married or had never been in a common-law marriage (OR = 2.55, CI = 1.40-4.66) and individuals with a medium education level (OR = 2.63, CI = 1.67-4.14).

Conclusion: In Serbia, all the activities should be directed towards increasing the levels of awareness and knowledge on sexual health and cervical cancer screening services.