HPV vaccine acceptance among female Greek students

Abstract

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against HPV-related disease. The aim of this study was to assess acceptance of HPV vaccination among female Greek students. A sample of 573 students aged 18-25 years participated in the present study. Interviews were performed using a structured questionnaire. Of the respondents, 3% were not aware of the HPV vaccine. Of the subjects, 10.47% had been administered the HPV vaccine. Of the respondents \vho had not been administered the vaccine, 43.86% were not willing to accept it because of the rumors of serious side effects. The results highlight the need for additional education and health promotion regarding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention.

Vaccination against human papillomavirus among 865 female students from the health professions in central Greece: a questionnaire- based cross-sectional study

“…The main reason for not being vaccinated against HPV was fear of side effects. This finding is in line with a previous report that 43.86% of students who had not been vaccinated against HPV were unwilling to accept it because of “rumors of serious side effects” 15. In addition, a recent Greek study showed that one of the most common reasons for women refusing vaccination was a fear of adverse effects 16.…”

“…This rate is well above the estimated national vaccination coverage rate of 9%. Vaccination coverage among female university students in Greece has been estimated at 10.47% 15. In addition, HPV vaccination coverage among female higher education students in Athens was found to be nearly 26% 12.…”

Increasing fear of adverse effects drops intention to vaccinate after the introduction of prophylactic HPV vaccine

“…This, combined with the chronic (and therefore not acutely threatening) natural history of HPV infection and the given availability of proven screening tests appears to have shifted the balance toward the avoidance of potential adverse reactions from the vaccine. Indeed, in a survey of Greek female students, 10% of them had been vaccinated and 44% of those who had not/were not willing to receive the vaccine because of ''rumors of serious side effects'' [33]. This happens despite the fact that HPV vaccines appear to have a good safety record in medical literature [34,35].…”

Knowledge of the HPV vaccine and its association with vaccine uptake among female higher-education students in Greece

“…8 Despite this fact, HPV vaccine uptake in Greece is low, with figures around 10-11% for women aged 16 to 28 and students. 9,10 Assessing awareness and knowledge in a diverse sample is essential to gaining a balanced picture of the public's understanding of HPV.…”

“…9 Knowledge is one of many predictors of protective sexual behavior; however, knowledge levels of the HPV vaccine are poor. 4,6,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17] HPV knowledge levels may be an important determinant for vaccine acceptance and uptake.…”