title: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding HPV Vaccination Among Medical and Para Medical in Students, India a Cross Sectional Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High risk human papilloma virus (HPV) types 16 and 18 have been proven as central causes of cervical cancer and safety and immunogenicity of HPV vaccines are sufficiently established. Knowledge and practices of HPV vaccination among medical and paramedical students is vital as these may strongly determine intention to recommend vaccination to others in the future. The present study was therefore undertaken to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination among medical and paramedical students and to analyze factors influencing them.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present cross sectional study, conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India, included undergraduate students aged 18 years and above, belonging to medical, dental and nursing streams, after informed written consent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 957 participants, only 430 (44.9%) displayed good knowledge and only 65 (6.8%) had received HPV vaccination. Among the unvaccinated, 433 (48.54%), were not willing to take the vaccine. Concerns regarding the efficacy (30.5%), safety (26.1%) and cost of the vaccine (21.7%) were responsible for this. Age, gender, family history of malignancy and mother's education had no influence on knowledge. Compared to medical students, nursing students had better knowledge (OR-1.49, 95% CI 0.96 to 2.3, p = 0.072) and students of dentistry had poor knowledge (OR-0.50 95% CI 0.36 to 0.70, p <0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge and uptake of HPV vaccination among medical and paramedical students in India is poor. Targeted health education interventions may have huge positive impact not only on the acceptance of vaccination among them, but also on their intention to recommend the vaccine in future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chennai, India E-mail : dr.swarnapriya@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Swarnapriya
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kavitha
authors.forename: Gopireddy Murali Mohan
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011379:Prognosis; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines