title: Awareness and knowledge of human papillomavirus in the Swedish adult population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess awareness and knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the adult Swedish population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study among young adults aged 18-30 years and the parents of children aged 12-15 years was conducted in 2007 to collect information on awareness and knowledge of HPV. Correlates of HPV knowledge were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Awareness of cervical cancer and condyloma were high but awareness of HPV was low. Many participants were uncertain or did not know about the causal relation between HPV and condyloma, and cancers other than cervical cancer. Among parents, gender, age, country of origin, and education were the most important correlates of HPV knowledge. Among young adults, these factors were gender, income, and education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPV education campaigns should particularly target young men and those with low education. Educational messages should clarify the risk of HPV, and the causal relationship between HPV and condyloma, and other cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. lisen.arnheim.dahlstrom@ki.se
authors.forename: Lisen Arnheim
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Dahlström
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lundholm
authors.forename: Pär
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sparén
authors.forename: Trung Nam
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D052685:Alphapapillomavirus; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult