Testicular Cancer and Testicular Self-examination: An Investigation into the Degree of Knowledge and Practices of Self-care among Nigerian Male Non-health Undergraduates

Abstract

Purpose: Testicular cancer (TC) is a malignant tumour that commonly affects young men in their second and third decades of life. Regular testicular self-examination (TSE) results in early detection and treatment of TC. This study was conducted to assess the degree of knowledge and practice of TC and TSE among male non-health undergraduate students of Edo north senatorial district of Edo state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This research was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at a higher institution in Edo state. The research population consisted of non-medical students of the institution, selected by convenient sampling techniques, and structured self-administered questionnaires were used. The data were analyzed  using Statistical Programming for Social Sciences version 22 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, United States). P < 0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: Only about half (50.2%) of the students participants of the research have heard of TC. The majority (65.8%) of them had never heard of TSE. Forty-six participants (20.4%) knew the frequency of carrying out TSE and 43 (19.1%) had practiced it. The participants’ age (P=0.005) and year of study (P=0.005) are the two statistically significant sociodemographic variables that contributed to the level of knowledge about TSE. The majority (58.2%) of the respondents showed a favourable knowledge about TC  and carrying out TSE. Conclusion: The knowledge of TC and TSE is low among the students.  We recommended the inclusion of these themes in the general studies curriculum of undergraduates.