title: Awareness and knowledge of human papillomavirus-related diseases are still dramatically insufficient in the era of high-coverage vaccination programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assess knowledge and awareness concerning human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, HPV-associated diseases, and the existence of a specific vaccine among non-HPV-screened Caucasian-European adults after the market introduction of HPV vaccines.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 934 consecutive patients seeking their first medical help for uroandrologic purposes anonymously completed a 17-item questionnaire related to HPV. Data were compared with those of an age-comparable cohort of nurses (controls; n = 172).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Knowledge and awareness of HPV infection were reported in 564 (51%) and 735 (66.5%) participants, respectively. Overall, 51.3% participants were informed that HPV is sexually transmitted, but most reported not being aware that HPV infection can be associated with anogenital warts (61.7%), female genitalia (46.6%), penile (58.5%), and oropharyngeal cancer (79.7%). Only 36.5% of the participants were informed regarding the existence of a specific vaccine. HPV knowledge was retrieved through the media and/or the Internet, at school, doctors, and relatives or friends in 395 (35.7%), 155 (14%), 97 (8.8%), and 88 (8.0%) participants, respectively. Multivariable analyses showed that female gender [odds ratio (OR) 3.08; p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval 2.18-4.35] and educational status [high school diploma versus primary-secondary (OR 1.61; p = 0.03; 1.04-2.51); university degree versus primary-secondary (OR 2.89; p < 0.001; 1.83-4.57)] were significantly associated with awareness of HPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only approximately half of the participants reported knowing what HPV infection is, even after the approval and market introduction of the HPV vaccine. Awareness about the existence and availability of a HPV vaccine was even lower.
authors.affiliation: Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capogrosso
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ventimiglia
authors.forename: Rayan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matloob
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colicchia
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serino
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Clementi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Croce
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Capitanio
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gandaglia
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Damiano
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mirone
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montorsi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salonia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001005:Anus Neoplasms; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010412:Penile Neoplasms; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015229:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines