Assessing the Level of Knowledge, Beliefs and Acceptance of HPV Vaccine: A Cross-Sectional Study in Romania

Abstract

(1) Background: The infection with Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and it has been associated with cervical cancer (CC) in 99.7% of the cases. In Romania, CC is the second most common, with incidence (22.6%000) and mortality rates (9.6%000) three times higher than any other European country. Our aim was to assess the level of knowledge regarding HPV infection among parents, highschool students, medical students and doctors, with an emphasis on their main source of information—the Internet. (2) Methods: We applied five questionnaires to six categories of respondents: parents of pupils in the 6th–8th grades, medical students, doctors, boys in the 11th–12th grades, girls in the 11th–12th grades and their mothers. (3) Results: We included a total of 3108 respondents. 83.83% of all respondents had known about HPV infection. The level of information about HPV infection and vaccination was either satisfactory, poor or very poor. Their main source of information varied depending on the respondent profile and professional activity. Medical students were informed by doctors and healthcare professionals (53.0%), doctors gathered their information from books, journals and specialized brochures (61.6%). For the other categories of respondents, the Internet was the main source of information. Most respondents answered that doctors and healthcare professionals should provide information on HPV infection and vaccination, but very few of them actually seeked information from their general practitioner. (4) Conclusions: Population adherence to the appropriate preventative programs, as well as relevant information disseminated by the medical staff are key elements towards reducing the risk of HPV-associated cancers. An important role could also be played by schools, where teachers and school doctors could provide relevant information on the general aspects of HPV infection. Additionally, sex education classes and parent-teacher meetings should cover the main characteristics of HPV infection and what preventative measures can be employed against it.

The Multidimensional Vaccine Hesitancy Scale: A Validation Study

“…An instrument for VH assessment is important for epidemiological studies and for research, and it can help concretely identify the factors that lead to the refusal or the postponement of the vaccination. One of the instruments relevant to the measurement of attitudes regarding vaccination is a short, six-item scale called the VAX scale (Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale [ 14 ]), the only one which was translated and used in Romanian literature [ 4 , 6 ]; other instruments that have been used are questionnaires devised by the authors upon examining the attitudes towards various types of vaccines [ 3 , 15 , 16 ].…”

HPV vaccine uptake, HPV infection and vaccination related knowledge and health beliefs among health sciences students in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu: An analytical cross-sectional study

“…These correlation findings highlight the interconnectedness of knowledge acquisition and belief formation regarding HPV infection and vaccination. [41] Educational interventions targeting specific knowledge gaps can potentially lead to more informed health beliefs and attitudes conducive to HPV vaccination acceptance. Strategies such as school-based education programs, peerled interventions, and targeted messaging campaigns have shown promise in improving HPV-related knowledge and vaccination intentions among young adults.…”

The Hybrid Capture 2 Results in Correlation with the Pap Test, Sexual Behavior, and Characteristics of Romanian Women

“…Romania has a high incidence and mortality rate caused by CC [5,26], with very little data regarding the prevalence of HR-HPV infection. According to a study by Mihaela et al [26], the incidence of HPV infection among women between the ages of 18 and 59 is 40% for all types of HPV, and 20% for HR-HPV.…”

“…HPV 16 and HPV 18 are the most frequent oncogenic types: HPV16 is implicated in 50-60% of CC and HPV 18 in 10-15%. The other types of HR-HPV are associated with 25-40% of the cases of CC [5].…”

“…Although women in Romania have access to CC screening and HPV vaccination, this country has the highest burden of deaths caused by CC in Europe. When compared to the average mortality rate in Europe due to CC of 3.4/%000, the rate of 10.83/%000 in Romania is alarming and highlights the need for intervention [5,18].…”