HJAR Jan/Feb 2024

HPV 26 JAN / FEB 2024 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS need to be vaccinated (N = 174, 95.6%). While the majority also disagreed that only sexu- ally active individuals need to be vaccinated, 16.5% (N = 30) did agree with this statement. Regarding safety of the vaccine, 21 (11.5%) believed that the vaccine could cause HPV. However, only 4.4% (N= 8) agreed with the statement that the HPV vaccine was either harmful or unnecessary. Discussion An anonymous survey was employed to study knowledge and beliefs about HPV infection and vaccination, as well as gather information about HPV vaccination rates, among students at a university inArkansas, a state where HPV vaccination rates are well below target. The results demonstrate that the rate of HPV vaccination in this college- age group is similar to that of the state as a whole, with potentially only 56% of 18- to 22-year-old students being up to date for the vaccine. This number may be an under- estimate since a quarter of this group was unsure of their vaccination status. It is important to note the role that paren- tal decision-making played in the vaccina- tion status of this group of young adults. Of those who had not received any HPV vaccinations, 54.1% stated that they would have received the vaccine if it had been up to them. There is also some evidence of mis- information playing a role, as some of the unvaccinated endorsed parental feelings that the vaccine was not needed because they were not sexually active or that the vaccine itself was harmful. This highlights the need for healthcare providers who care for children to continue to educate parents about the safety and benefits of the HPV vaccine so that children are vaccinated at the recommended age, when the vaccine would be most effective. The strength of this study is that it iden- tifies specific areas of knowledge deficit about HPV in college-aged individuals. These include the fact that HPV does not always have visible signs and symptoms, the limitations of condoms in preventing HPV infection, and the fact that HPV can cause oral and anal cancers. Education is also needed around topics including the possible transmission of HPV by both pen- etrative and oral sex, the fact that the vac- cine is indicated regardless of sexual activ- ity status, and that the vaccine itself cannot cause HPV infection. College students are able to make their own decisions regarding their healthcare. This population should be a focus of HPV educational campaigns in order to provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions. The knowledge deficits identified in this study should be highlighted in these campaigns. Individu- als who are not up-to-date for the vaccine and are interested in receiving it should be connected with resources to do so while they are still within the recommended age group for vaccination. Efforts should also be made to ensure that all young adults know their personal HPV vaccination status. In states with electronic immunization data- bases, such as Arkansas, attempts to do so can be included in HPV outreach campaigns so that individuals who are not vaccinated are aware that they are at risk. These types of efforts can improve HPV vaccination rates among individuals who are still eli- gible for the vaccine and may ultimately decrease HPV infections, HPV-associated cancers, and the economic burden of HPV in the years to come. n REFERENCES 1 Lewis, R.M.; Laprise, J.F.; Gargano, J.W; et al. “Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Disease- Associated Human Papillomavirus Types Among 15- to 59-year-olds in the United States.” Sexually Transmitted Diseases 48, issue 4, (April 1, 2021): 273-277. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001356 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Cancers Associated with Human Papillomavirus, United States—2015-2019.” U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Brief, no. 31. 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