What Are They Thinking? Findings for Educators and Practitioners on Youths’ Experience and Knowledge of the HPV Vaccine

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the HPV vaccination for boys and girls starting at age 11, yet adoption rates are low. We use eight focus groups to explore the decision making process, experiences, and social influences, including media and sex education classes, shaping attitudes of male and female college students. We find many students who have misinformation or no knowledge of the vaccination yet are eager to learn more. Due to youths’ range of knowledge about the vaccination and varied preparedness for making their own medical decisions, practitioners are in a challenging position to inform and encourage responsible decision making without appearing coercive.

KEYWORDS:

• Human papillomavirus
• HPV vaccine
• adolescents
• youth
• STD knowledge
• sexual health and decision making

Notes

For an exception, see Griffioen et al. (2012) on HPV vaccination decision-making among 32 mothers and their 33 11–12–year-old daughters. A study of predominately African-American girls and women at a hospital-based teen health center, Kahn et al. (2005), was conducted before the HPV vaccine became available for girls.

Bendik et al. (2011) found that slightly over half of university women in their sample knew the link between genital warts and HPV.