Abstract:
This study was designed to assess the usefulness of screening for cervical cancer (including
cancer precursors) in patients attending sexually transmitted diseases (S.T.D) clinics in Sri
Lanka, to describe the types of abnormal finding in cervical smears and to describe and
compare data on age, sexual history, marital status, contraceptive practices and the sexually
transmitted infections between women with normal and abnormal smears. The data revealed
that the mean age of first coitus in women with normal smears was 19.7 years while the
mean age of first coitus was 18.7 years in those, with abnormal smears. However, this
difference was not found to be significant (p0.05). There was no significant difference
(p0.05) in the number of sexual partners between patients with normal smears and those
with abnormal smears. There was no significant difference (p0.05) in the marital status
between women with normal smears and those with abnormal smears. Data on the number
of pregnancies revealed a significant difference (p0.01) between women with normal smears
and abnormal smears who had five pregnancies. All the patients who had koilocytic atypia
reported in their smears were free of visible genital warts. Non specific genital infection was
the commonest S.T.D. diagnosed overall. Trichomonas infection was diagnosed more in
patients with abnormal smears than in those with normal smears. Prostitutes were found
evenly distributed in the two groups (28.7 per cent in the normal smear group and 27.6 per
cent in the abnormal smear group).This study, indicates a serious need for introducing
cytology screening in S.T.D. clinics throughout the country
