Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake and Sociocultural Barriers among Women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Population-Based Study

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in Addis Ababa and other parts of Ethiopia. Yet, there are limited age-eligible city-wide data on cervical cancer screening prevalence in Addis Ababa to inform public policy.

A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1881 screening eligible women aged 30 to 49 years, who were selected from 63 enumeration areas in Addis Ababa based on multistage sampling and proportional sample size allocation. Logistic regression was used to identify barriers to screening. All statistical tests were two-sided, P < 0.05.

Overall, 30.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 28.8%-33.0%] of study participants reported receipt of screening in the past 5 years. Less than half (45.7%) of women reported that they received healthcare provider recommendation for screening, and only 15% of married women reported that they had spousal support for it. In the multivariable adjusted model, the odd of being screened was considerably higher in women with healthcare provider recommendation, with spousal support, and with good cervical cancer screening awareness and knowledge of risk factors for the disease. Factors associated with not seeking screening service included feeling healthy and perception of low risk for cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer screening uptake is low in Addis Ababa, and less than half received healthcare provider recommendation. Future studies should identify barriers to provider recommendations.

The findings underscore the need for a coordinated effort to enhance healthcare provider recommendations for cervical cancer screening and to raise awareness about the benefits of screening in the general population.