Knowledge and Attitudes of a Cohort of Male University Students in Jamaica Regarding Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and the HPV Vaccine

Abstract

51 Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Jamaica with an incidence of 17.4/100,000. (1). Cervical cancer is acquired sexually, with the human papilloma virus (HPV) being the most important causative agent (2,3). HPV infection is associated with the development of other cancers such as anogenital, vaginal, vulvar and anal cancers in women, and penile and anal cancers in men.(2) It is also responsible for genital warts and oropharyngeal cancer in both men and women. Two vaccines were approved for the prevention of cervical cancer by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are available in Jamaica (4,5). This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes in a male cohort towards HPV and HPV vaccine. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which two hundred male students were recruited. Information for this study was gathered from responses given in a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 22.6 years. 50.5% stated that they had heard of HPV. Of those who knew of the HPV, only 37.6% vs 39.6% of respondents reported that sexual intercourse was a requirement for HPV transmission, while 22.8% did not know. 43% reported knowing that HPV causes genital warts and 42% knew of an association with cervical cancer. 16.5% of the respondents knew of the HPV vaccine. Only 21.2% knew that the HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer while the remaining 78.8% either said that it didn't provide protection or did not know. 15.3% knew that the vaccine is approved for both males and females while 84.7% did not know. Conclusion: There was significant knowledge deficit in the awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine in our male university students. Gibson, T.N., et al., Age-specific incidence of cancer in Kingston and St. Andrew, Jamaica, 2003-2007. West Indian Med J, 2010. 59(5): p. 456-64. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basic information about HPV –associated cancers. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic_info . 2013. Bosch, F.X. and S. de Sanjose, Chapter 1: Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer-- burden and assessment of causality. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr, 2003(31): p. 3-13. FDA licensure of bivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (HPV2,Cervarix) for use in females and updated vaccination recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) .Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MMWR Morb Mort Wkly Rep, 2010(59): p. 626-9. FDA, “FDA Approves New Vaccine Indication for Gardasil to Prevent Genital Warts in Men and Boys,” Bethesda, Md, USA. 2009. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: No COIs from the authors.