Adolescent perceptions of risk and need for safer sexual behaviors after first human papillomavirus vaccination.
OBJECTIVE
To (1) examine perceptions of risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), (2) examine perceived need for safer sexual behaviors, and (3) determine factors associated with less perceived need for safer sexual behaviors, all in the context of receiving the first HPV vaccination.


METHODS
Cross-sectional baseline analysis from an ongoing longitudinal cohort study.


METHODS
An urban hospital-based adolescent primary care clinic.


METHODS
Girls 13 to 21 years (for this article girls are defined as being aged 13 to 21 years) (n = 339) receiving their first HPV vaccination and their mothers (n = 235).


METHODS
(1) Girls' perceived risk of HPV after HPV vaccination, (2) girls' perceived risk of other STIs after vaccination, (3) girls' perceived need for continued safer sexual behaviors after vaccination, and (4) factors associated with girls' perception of less need for safer sexual behaviors.


RESULTS
Mean age of girls was 16.8 years. Most participants (76.4%) were black, and 57.5% were sexually experienced. Girls perceived themselves to be at less risk for HPV than for other STIs after HPV vaccination (P < .001). Although most girls reported continued need for safer sexual behaviors, factors independently associated with perception of less need for safer sexual behaviors included adolescent factors (lower HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge and less concern about HPV) and maternal factors (lower HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge, physician as a source of HPV vaccine information, and lack of maternal communication about the HPV vaccine).


CONCLUSIONS
Few adolescents perceived less need for safer sexual behaviors after the first HPV vaccination. Education about HPV vaccines and encouraging communication between girls and their mothers may prevent misperceptions among these adolescents.
Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. tanya.mullins@cchmc.org
Tanya L Kowalczyk
TL
Mullins
Gregory D
GD
Zimet
Susan L
SL
Rosenthal
Charlene
C
Morrow
Lili
L
Ding
Marcia
M
Shew
J Dennis
JD
Fortenberry
David I
DI
Bernstein
Jessica A
JA
Kahn
D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D012306:Risk; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines