JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Article

Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences

Year: 2026, Volume: 16, Issue: 2, Pages: 25-30

Original Article

Breast Carcinoma Awareness and Practice of Breast Self Examination among Reproductive Age Group Female Out Patients in an Urban Primary Health Center, Thoothukudi: A Cross Sectional Study

Received Date:14 July 2025, Accepted Date:09 February 2026, Published Date:15 June 2026

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is a severe illness that significantly lowers women's mortality and quality of life globally. It is the most prevalent cause of cancer-related death in women and the fifth most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Methods: The current study was conducted among the women of reproductive age group attending OPD at Theresapuram UPHC for a period of 6 months. The exclusion criteria includes: known case of benign or malignant breast conditions, had prior breast surgery, currently antenatal and lactating mothers. Before the study was carried out, informed oral consent and approval from the ethical committee were acquired. A semi-structured questionnaire that had been developed beforehand was used to gather data. Results: 220 women between the ages of 15 and 49 who were in the reproductive age range were interviewed. 184 (83.64%) of them had heard about breast cancer at some point. The majority (76.4%) did not know enough about the risk factors for breast cancer. Only 92 (41.8%) of the ladies had heard about BSE. Just forty-five (20.4%) of the study participants regularly practiced BSE out of the total. The most frequent excuse for not performing BSE was discovered to be fear. There was a statistically significant (p<0.05) correlation between the practice of breast self-examination and socioeconomic status, occupation, and education. Conclusion: Breast cancer awareness and self-breast inspection practices are essential for early detection and improved prognosis. The incidence and death of breast cancer in women can be significantly decreased by raising awareness and promoting regular breast self-examination. Comprehensive healthcare services should incorporate educational initiatives.

Keywords: Awareness, Breast Cancer, Breast Self-Examination, Reproductive Age Women

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Copyright

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Published By Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education, Kolar, Karnataka

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