PAPILOMA HUMAN VIRUS: FEMININE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PREVENTION

Abstract

The human papilloma virus, also called HPV, is a virus that sets in the skin or mucous membranes, which can affect both men and women. HPV infection is transmitted by sex as well as other means of contamination. Overall objective of the study: Understanding women's knowledge about the prevention of Human Papilloma Virus. Specific objectives: To characterize the sociodemographic profile of the study population; Women's knowledge about HPV. Methodology: The study is characterized as descriptive and exploratory, with a cross-sectional design and a qualitative approach. This research was carried out in a UBS located in the city of Vitória da Conquista-BA. The research participants will be women, users of this Health Unit, aged between 15 and 25 years. The population will be made up of all the women registered in the UBS, representing a sample of the non-probabilistic type for convenience. A semi-structured questionnaire will be used, formulated by the researcher. It includes questioning variables such as: age, occupation, income, schooling, race, access to information, knowledge about the meaning of HPV. Results: The mean age distribution of the population was 19 years ± 2.84 years. It was observed in this study that the age of participants was between 15 and 24 years old, demonstrating the lack of knowledge about HPV before the age of 25 years. Qualitative analysis shows that most participants have no knowledge about the human papilloma virus. Conclusion: women interviewed have no knowledge about the human papilloma virus, the risks it can bring to health and its forms of prevention. This shows the need to implement educational and care programs in this age group, mainly because age is a risk factor for virus contamination.