title: The paradox of HPV vaccines: how to reach sexually inexperienced women for protection against a sexually transmitted infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study examined the impact of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine message tailored for sexually inexperienced women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 193 young women, aged 17 to 26, attending university, who completed an on-line questionnaire. The participants were randomly assigned to three conditions that manipulated the type of information they received on HPV and the vaccine: control (minimal information, sexual transmission information omitted), detailed (emphasized sexual transmission of HPV), or tailored (the same as detailed, but also emphasized the benefit to sexually inexperienced women).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with no sexual experience intended to receive an HPV vaccine more in the tailored condition than the detailed condition (q = 3.46; p < .05) and the control condition (q = 5.11; p < .01). There was no difference between the detailed condition compared with the control condition (q = 1.45; p = NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that a message tailored for sexually inexperienced women resulted in higher intentions to receive the HPV vaccine compared with messages that were not tailored. When providing information about HPV vaccines to sexually inexperienced patients, it may be particularly important to emphasize that HPV vaccines are most efficacious if received before the onset of sexual activity. The results suggest that this is more effective in increasing sexually inexperienced women's interest in the vaccine than avoiding information about sexual transmission altogether.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: Paula C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Barata
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines