EMPOWERING WOMEN: UNVEILING THE LINK BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND KNOWLEDGE FOR EARLY TESTING OF CERVICAL CANCER IN FERTILE AGE

Cervical cancer, a malignancy affecting the female reproductive organs, has been increasingly demanding serious attention. The significance of self-efficacy lies in its crucial role in augmenting knowledge and enhancing reproductive health among women in their childbearing years The objective of this study is to examine the correlation between self-efficacy and the knowledge of women in their childbearing age regarding the early detection of cervical cancer. This study used a descriptive correlational design using a cross-sectional approach, this quantitative study involved 97 respondents from the Harapan Raya Community Health Centre area. The investigation used a descriptive correlational design and chose to use a cross-sectional approach. Data analysis was conducted with a chi-square test. Demographic data revealed that 53.6% of respondents are early adults, 43.3% hold high school degrees, and 82.5% are housewives. Univariate analysis showed that 62.9% of respondents had low self-efficacy, while 55.7% possessed sufficient knowledge. The analysis using the Chi-square test revealed a noteworthy association between self-efficacy and the knowledge of women in their fertile age concerning the early testing of cervical cancer. (p-value = 0.002). The results showed a significant correlation between self-efficacy and knowledge in women of childbearing age in early testing for cervical cancer. The results of this study illustrate the importance of increasing self-efficacy and knowledge of women of childbearing age in improving early testing of cervical cancer.