Survey Highlights

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About the Survey

The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation recently surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,006 young women 19-25 years old to understand their knowledge of cervical health. The survey asked young women about their knowledge and attitudes about overall health, cervical cancer, the cervix, as well as prevention and screening behaviors. The survey, funded and supported by GlaxoSmithKline, was conducted online across the United States by Harris Interactive® in August and September 2009.

Young women are not in tune with their cervical health
  • Approximately 1 in 5 [17%] women reported that they had "no clue" what their cervix does
  • Only half [52%] of the young women said they felt they could identify where their cervix is on a picture of the reproductive organs
Cervical health is not on a young woman's radar
  • Young women feel more informed about the hottest music (33%) than reproductive health care [15%]
  • Among healthcare-related topics, young women feel more informed about diet and nutrition (39%), as well as ways to stay in shape (37%), than reproductive health care (15%)
More education is needed to inform young women about HPV, cervical cancer and the purpose of Pap tests
  • Approximately 75 percent of cervical cancers in North America are caused by the two most common HPV types
    - Yet, nearly two-thirds [63%]of young women believe they are not at risk for HPV
  • Although cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S in women in their twenties and thirties, 85% of young women do not believe they are at risk for cervical cancer now
  • Nearly a quarter (24%) of the young women feel that the purpose of thePap test has not been explained to them
    - About 1 in 5 (21%) of the young women incorrectly believe that a Pap test is used for testing ovarian cancer
Young women underestimate the impact cervical procedures could have on their ability to have a successful pregnancy
  • Among young women who have had an abnormal Pap test result [n=188], less than half [43%] realize cervical procedures to remove precancerous cells may be necessary
    - Approximately 1 in 10 [11%] of all young women surveyed have already had a cervical procedure
  • Most [70%] of the young women surveyed want to have a baby someday. However, only 13% knew that, in some cases, procedures to treat cervical pre-cancer could impact their ability to carry a pregnancy to term

GCF and GSK encourage young women to talk to their healthcare professional about:

  • Pap tests
  • Vaccination
  • Lifestyle modifications to prevent HPV infection

GlaxoSmithKline has provided funding and editorial assistance to the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) for the survey and the “Reality Check: What Young Women Don’t Know About Cervical Cancer” campaign.