HPV Vaccination and Knowledge of Cervical Cancer among Female University Students in a Multiethnic Institution, USA

Nasar U. Ahmed*, Michael E. Delgado and Abraham Degarege

HPV Vaccination and Knowledge of Cervical Cancer among Female University Students in a Multiethnic Institution, USA.

HPV vaccination is an effective method of preventing cervical cancer.  The HPV vaccination is recommended for males and females of ages 11 to 26-years-old. Gardasil reduced the combined incidence of infection with types 16 or 18 by 94.5% in participants. The protection against types 16 and 18 lasts for at least eight years after vaccination with Gardasil and more than 9 years after vaccination with Cervarix. After the introduction of the vaccines, the prevalence of HPV infection fallen by about 88% among vaccinated women in United States, and the annual cost of cervical cancer treatment decreased from $6,000 million to approximately $400 million in the country.

However, about 60% among college-aged women did not receive HPV vaccination in the USA.16 This may be due to inadequate understanding of HPV infection, cervical cancer and the vaccine. As the American college students are at high risk for HPV infection, their sufficient awareness and accurate information about cervical cancer, HPV transmission, and its prevention are imperative to increase HPV vaccination coverage. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine the level of knowledge about HPV, cervical cancer and its association with HPV vaccination among college students in the USA.

Vaccination is one of the most effective and least complex ways to address the public health problems especially cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of most preventable types of cancer, and
HPV vaccination plays a central role in this effort. Despite the safety, effectiveness, and simplicity of the vaccination program, the uptake remained quite low among the high-risk group-college
students. The association of HPV vaccination with knowledge about cervical cancer was particularly strong among students.

Epidemiol Open J. 2017; 2(1): 24-31. doi: 10.17140/EPOJ-2-111

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