title: Young women's beliefs regarding human papillomavirus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe young women's perceptions of human papillomavirus (HPV) using the Common Sense Model and examine whether perceptions differ based on history of HPV diagnosis or sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, survey data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four women's health clinics and one university classroom.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and two women ages 18-24.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young women's beliefs regarding HPV were measured using the HPV Representations of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (RoSTD) survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most survey respondents believed HPV diagnosis was likely to result in cancer and death. Negative beliefs about the psychosocial consequences of HPV diagnosis were common. Compared to those who had not been diagnosed with HPV (or had never received STD testing), young women with a history of HPV diagnosis or STD testing had less serious and more accurate beliefs about HPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young women tend to have misconceptions about HPV in addition to noteworthy concerns about the psychosocial consequences of HPV diagnosis. Clinical attention to young women's beliefs about HPV may provide direction for improving the delivery of patient-centered education and counseling about this exceedingly common illness.
authors.affiliation: assistant professor in the College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI. Electronic address: hrroyer@uwm.edu.
authors.forename: Heather R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Royer
authors.affiliation: nurse practitioner in the University Health and Counseling Services, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI.
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Falk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011584:Psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult