Sexual Education and its Relationship with the Incidence of Cervical Cancer in the Female Population of Panama

Abstract

Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with oncogenic types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and initially appears through slow-growing precancerous lesions. It remains a major public health problem, particularly in developing countries, where most cases and deaths occur. In Panama, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women, accounting for 16.4% of new cancer cases, with an incidence rate of 22 per 100,000 women. This article presents a bibliographic review on cervical cancer in the Panamanian female population and its relationship with sexual education. Objective: To assess women’s knowledge about HPV, associated risk factors, and its link to cervical cancer in Panama. Methodology: A descriptive analysis of scientific articles published between 2014 and 2024 was conducted using databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scielo, CINAHL, Web of Science, and others. Results: Six out of fifteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: Strengthening educational prevention strategies and early detection programs for cervical cancer is necessary at the national level.