Cervical, anal, penile, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers, as well as genital warts, are all caused by HPV. It is critical to study knowledge and attitudes among university students, given the change in healthcare decision-making from parents to students themselves in this day and age. The purpose of this study was to assess HPV knowledge and perspective in terms of possible embarrassment for HPV-related illnesses, belief in vaccination effectiveness, and concern about potential adverse effects. Students from the Universities of Padua and Verona in Italy participated in the study. A questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and behavioural data. Higher knowledge was related to female gender and older age. The adjusted logistic regression revealed a link between the set of perceptions studied and vaccination status, but no direct link with knowledge was discovered. Another modified linear regression, on the other hand, revealed that a good set of perceptions may be partially explained by a high degree of knowledge. Perceptions appear to bridge a gap between information and the decision to be vaccinated. The possible embarrassment associated with seeking HPV vaccination was not identified as a meaningful barrier. Receiving information from healthcare providers, family, and school proved to be favourably linked with vaccination policy adherence.
This study identifies university students as a viable target population for HPV vaccination and specifies certain regions that may be addressed initially to promote vaccine adoption. Primary prevention, in conjunction with screening programmes, will continue to be critical in decreasing the burden of HPV-related illnesses.
Reference: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2018.1564432
