A Study on Awareness and Obstacles of Cervical Cancer Screening among Women Residing in Urban Slums of Cooch Behar, West Bengal

Background: Cervical malignancy is a widespread fatal disease and an emerging health concern among Indian women, where advanced stage can be prevented by detection at the earliest through regular screening practices. The majority of Indian women remained unscreened as per the findings of previous studies. Women residing in slums often face difficulty in accessing advanced healthcare facilities mainly due to economic and multiple social hindrances. Objectives: To assess the level of awareness about risk factors, symptoms of cervical cancer and acceptance of screening, vaccination practices, and to find out the barriers for undergoing screening and vaccination among women residing in the urban slums of Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. Materials and Methods: This survey was conducted among slum dwelling women aged 25–60 years in between March and June 2025. Data were collected from total 197 participants after taking informed consent and were analyzed by using SPSS software. Categorical variables were analyzed using the Chi-square test and P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Alarmingly, 10.2% had good knowledge and 72.6% had poor knowledge of symptoms, risk factors as well as screening methods and human papilloma virus vaccination. Only 29.9% of the respondents had heard about papanicolaou (PAP) smear test, and 6.1% had undergone PAP screening. None of the participants was vaccinated. 65.9% of the women stated “inadequate knowledge” as the main reason for nonscreening, and 82.7% also had “inadequate knowledge” about the vaccine. Per capita monthly income and formal education of the study population were found to be significantly associated with their knowledge level regarding this disease. Conclusions: Knowledge regarding the cervical malignancy-related health issues was poor among participating women. Well-organized and repeated health education sessions are needed in increasing the awareness among underprivileged women.