Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 16 4 2024 08 14 515 523 Ridhima Jasrotia Department of Microbiology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India Isha Kashyap Department of Pathology, Swastik Diagnostic Laboratory, Dogra Hall, Jammu, India Jyotsna Suri Department of Pathology, Govt.Medical College, Jammu, India Chirag Chopra Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India Atif Wani Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India Nazli Tizro Department of the Environment, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and ResearchBranch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Abhineet Goyal Department of Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Sanjeev Agrawal Global Educational University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Reena Singh Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India 2024 04 21 2024 07 17 Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer global burden is highly skewed towards poor countries primarily due to lack of awareness, poor screening, and low uptake of prophylactic vaccines. The purpose of our study is to educate and raise awareness among young girls and women about the importance of cervical screening and HPV vaccination. Materials and Methods: The present study, conducted from January 2023 to December 2023, focused on students, teachers, housewives, and healthcare professionals in the Jammu region to assess their awareness of cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine. HPV DNA testing was carried out using the Truenat Real-Time PCR method at Swastik Diagnostic Laboratory, Jammu. Results: Knowledge of cervical cancer, awareness of the HPV virus, and the vaccination status of women were assessed in survey. In the HPV screening test, out of 2,400 women, 106 tested positive for HPV. Among these 106 women, 19% had a high viral load (Ct < 20), 11% had a low viral load (25 ≤ Ct < 30), indicating a low relative concentration of HPV viruses, 40% had a medium viral load (20 ≤ Ct < 25), and 30% had very low viral loads (Ct ≥ 30). Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of routine cervical screenings, such as Pap smears and HPV tests, for the early detection of cervical cancer. There is an urgent need to implement cervical cancer screening and vaccination programs in the Jammu region. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/4739 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/4739/1696