P-340 Closing Gaps for Preventing Cervical Cancer among Urban: Slum, Non-Slum, Rural and Tribal Indian Homemakers and Manual Labourers – Experiences of Community Research

Introduction Deaths due to cervical cancer remains high among women from rural and low-income settings in India. Majority of women among these settings are expected to be homemakers by occupation. Being homemakers and from low economic background, these women in society are most neglected and deprived of fundamental rights for sexual health increasing their susceptibility for genital infection and cervical cancer. Illiteracy, timidness, dependence on male partner for health-related decisions, stigma and misconception adds to the vulnerability of these women for cervical cancer. Material and Methods Our community based cross-sectional studies enrolled 120 tribal women and 1600 women across low-income neighborhood settings [i.e. Urban slum (500), Urban non-slum (500), rural (600)] in age group of 30–69 yrs. Different modalities of communication were used to create awareness about sexual health including cervical cancer among these groups. Understanding reluctance and barriers of these women for accessing health care facilities, these studies explored the possibilities of HPV self-sampling as a screening modality for cervical cancer. Results and Conclusion Among 120 women in tribal settings, 55% and 38.3% were homemakers and manual laborers respectively. 95% women had not received/heard of sexual health education and did not perceive any risk of acquiring cervical cancer demonstrating low health literacy. Among 1600 women enrolled from the low-income neighborhood settings, overall, 75.9% and 12.3% women were homemakers and manual laborers respectively. 74.8% women perceived risk of getting cervical cancer but demonstrated poor care trajectory. After creating awareness towards cervical cancer, 95.8% tribal, 89.8% urban slum, 92.8% urban non-slum and 98.1% rural women accepted HPV-Self-sampling respectively. Culturally appropriate art-based health education materials to generate awareness towards cervical cancer and HPV self-sampling as screening modality looks promising to prevent cervical cancer among these vulnerable and underprivileged homemakers from low economic settings.