Knowledge and attitudes about cervical cancer and the Pap smear among 10th-grade girls

Data from questionnaires completed by 419 10th-grade girls were analyzed as part of a school health education program. The questionnaire was designed to collect knowledge of, attitudes toward, and experiences with cancer and cancer prevention. Data were collected from randomly selected health classes preceding a presentation on breast and cervical cancer prevention. Results showed that the girls were pessimistic about chances of surviving cancer and did not differentiate survival by type or site of the cancer. Although there was considerable confusion about its purpose, 27.6% reported having had a Papanicolaou smear within the past year and 79.2% correctly identified the Pap smear as a test for cancer.