Midadult women's attitudes about receiving the prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccine.
OBJECTIVE
To determine midadult (age, > or =25 years) women's attitudes about receiving the prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.


METHODS
Four hundred seventy-two women 25 years or older completed a 46-question survey, read an educational sheet about HPV and HPV vaccines, and then completed a 23-item survey. Frequency data were reported, and interventional effects measured by Bowker test of symmetry.


RESULTS
After educational intervention, 50% of mid-adult women wanted to receive the vaccine, and 34.3% were undecided. A desire to be healthy (48.9%), prevent cervical cancer (42.8%), and fear of cervical cancer (35.8%) were the most common reasons for wanting the vaccine. The main reasons for not wanting the vaccine included being in a monogamous relationship (29.5%), not being at risk for acquiring HPV (15.0%), and practicing safe sex (10.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
Midadult women have a high level of acceptance for the HPV vaccine. Our findings help support future implementation of the vaccine in this catch-up population of receptive women.
Ferris
Daron G
DG
Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Center, Departments of Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. dferris@mcg.edu
Waller
Jennifer L
JL
Owen
Ashley
A
Smith
Jozette
J
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000821:virology
D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines