Cervical cancer is considered as a common female genital cancer. It is also recognized as the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death among women. It is estimated that in Iran cervical cancer ranks the 4th most frequent cancer in women. Therefore, with regard to the importance of Pap smear in preventing cervical cancer, together with the impact of women's knowledge and attitude towards Pap smear performance, we aimed to assess women’s knowledge, performance and attitude towards Pap smear test in Sabzevar, Iran. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 385 women referred to health care centersand gynecological offices in Sabzevar, Iran. A questionnaire designed and validated by Abedian and Dormohamadi (2013) was used for data collection. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used for analysis. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude and performance were reported to be 2.1 ± 0.10, 66 ± 0.43, and 0.70 ± 0.06, respectively. Participants' age, education and their spouses' education were found as effective variables in their Pap smear knowledge, attitude and performance. The findings indicated that despite the fact that participants' knowledge and performance regarding cervical cancer were not desirable, their attitude was rather acceptable. Therefore, education and training of women in health centers by physicians together with engaging the health staff in improving women’s knowledge, performance and attitude towards cervical cancer prevention and treatment are highly recommended.
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