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Table 3 Reasons for accepting or rejecting HPV vaccination reported in surveys in 8 countriesa

From: Social mobilisation, consent and acceptability: a review of human papillomavirus vaccination procedures in low and middle-income countries

Reasons for acceptance stated by parents/guardians

Scoreb

Surveys (n)

 Protection from cancer

23

8

 Vaccination is good for health

22

8

 Perceived cervical cancer risk or susceptibility

8

3

 Convincing information

6

3

 Vaccine is safe

5

2

 Following others’ advice

5

3

 Protection from infection

5

4

 Informed about the programme

4

2

 Vaccine is free

3

2

 To avoid shame/stigma of an STI infection

2

2

 Interest in HPV vaccine and education

2

1

 Heard of cancer/knowledge of someone with cancer

1

1

 Perceived severity of infection and consequences

1

1

 Provided at school to every child

1

1

Reasons for not starting stated by parents/guardians

 Lack of motivation

  Fear of adverse effects on fertility and vaccine safety

16

8

  Girls or parents do not want vaccine

6

3

  May encourage early sex

4

2

  Cancer considered low severity/low risk

3

1

  Concern about vaccine effectiveness

3

1

  Undisclosed reasons

2

1

  Perceived low risk of infection

2

1

  Not good for a child

1

1

 Lack of information

  Not aware of the programme

13

6

  Insufficient information

8

4

 Systems barriers

  Absenteeism

15

7

  Difficult to determine age eligibility

9

7

  Location and time not convenient

2

1

  Health provider didn’t recommend

1

1

  1. aFregnani JHTR, 2013; Kury CMH, 2013; Wamai RG, 2012; Wamai RG, 2012; Vermandere H, 2014; Botha MH, 2014; Watson Jones D, 2012; Katagwa, 2014; Galagan, 2013
  2. bThe most common reason cited within each survey was given a score of 3, the second most common scored 2 and the third most common reason scored 1. Reasons were then pooled with their scores to indicate the most commonly cited reasons across all surveys