title: Knowledge, attitudes, practices and willingness to vaccinate in preparation for the introduction of HPV vaccines in Bamako, Mali.
abstract: Although screening for pre-cancerous cervical lesions and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination are accepted and effective means to prevent cervical cancer, women in Mali have limited access to these interventions. In addition, cervical cancer prevention by HPV vaccination has been controversial in some settings. To reduce cervical cancer prevalence and increase HPV vaccine uptake, it is important to understand the level of knowledge about cervical cancer screening and practices related to vaccination in at-risk populations. In this study, the level of knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer and attitudes towards vaccination were assessed among 301 participants (male and female, adults and adolescents) in a house-to-house survey in two urban neighborhoods in Bamako, Mali. The survey was combined with a brief educational session on HPV. Prior to the education session, overall knowledge of HPV infection and cervical cancer was very low: only 8% knew that HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Less than 20% of women had ever consulted a gynecologist and less than 3% had ever had cervical cancer screening. After hearing a description of HPV vaccine, more than 80% would accept HPV vaccination; fathers and husbands were identified as primary decisions makers and local clinics or the home as preferred sites for vaccination. This study provides information on STI knowledge and vaccine acceptance in Bamako, Mali in 2012, prior to the introduction of HPV vaccination.
authors.affiliation: GAIA Vaccine Foundation, Providence, RI, United States of America.|Institute for Immunology and Informatics (iCubed), University of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anne S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5911-1459
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: De Groot
authors.affiliation: Foundation GAIA, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Karamoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tounkara
authors.affiliation: GAIA Vaccine Foundation, Providence, RI, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rochas
authors.affiliation: GAIA Vaccine Foundation, Providence, RI, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beseme
authors.affiliation: GAIA Vaccine Foundation, Providence, RI, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yekta
authors.affiliation: Regional Director of Health, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Fanta Siby
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.affiliation: Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: J Kathleen
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tracy
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Gabriel Touré, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Ibrahima
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Teguete
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Molecular Biology (LBMA), Science and Technologies Faculty (FST), University of Science Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Ousmane A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Koita
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008302:Mali; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines