title: Acceptance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among young women in a country with a high prevalence of HPV infection.
abstract: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Argentina and the mortality has remained unchanged for the last 30 years. The 2011 national implementation of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination will be a key component of future cervical cancer prevention. Vaccination of young adult women is not included in the program, although these women could also benefit from the vaccine, especially in underserved areas with a high prevalence of HPV. However, research on acceptance of HPV vaccination within this group is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate acceptance of HPV vaccination, the correlation between acceptance and cost, as well as other factors and perceptions of HPV vaccination among young adult women in Argentina. In total, 174 young women aged 18-30 years were included in this quantitative cross-sectional hospital-based study in a low resource area of the Mendoza Province, conducted through structured questionnaire-based interviews. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate correlates of acceptance. Acceptance of HPV vaccination was high if it was free (95%) and even if it was not (75%). A significant positive association was found between acceptance and belief in vaccine safety (p=0.01) and between acceptance and not being a welfare recipient (p=0.00). Nearly half the participants incorrectly believed that they would be fully protected against cervical cancer after vaccination. Our findings suggest that acceptance of HPV vaccination is high among young women in a high-risk, relatively underserved area, even if vaccination is not free. Extensive misconceptions about the vaccine, however, highlight the need for further education about HPV vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet and Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alder
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perinetti
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mints
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Belkić
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sandin
authors.forename: Elisabete
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weiderpass
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines