Table 3 Knowledge and Attitudes about HPV Vaccine among Fully Vaccinated and Non-Vaccinated Medical Students
Fully vaccinated, positive responsesa n = 75 n (%) | Non-vaccinated positive responsesa n = 119 n (%) | Fisher’s exact test p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
Knowledge items | |||
HPV is a sexually transmitted infection | 73 (97.3) | 106 (89.8) | 0.08 |
Men and women can be carriers of HPV | 74 (98.7) | 108 (91.5) | 0.05 |
HPV vaccine protects against genital warts | 58 (77.3) | 86 (72.3) | 0.50 |
HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer | 72 (96.0) | 104 (87.4) | 0.07 |
HPV vaccine protects against other cancers | 36 (48.0) | 56 (47.9) | 1.00 |
HPV vaccine is safe | 71 (95.9) | 102 (85.7) | 0.03* |
HPV vaccine is effective | 71 (95.9) | 104 (87.4) | 0.07 |
HPV vaccine has few side effects | 64 (85.3) | 83 (70.3) | 0.02* |
HPV vaccination leads to lasting immunity | 49 (65.3) | 58 (49.2) | 0.04* |
HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys | 68 (90.7) | 83 (70.3) | <0.001* |
Attitude items | |||
HPV vaccination may lead to risky sexual behavior | 4 (5.3) | 10 (8.4) | 0.57 |
I have enough information to be able to counsel about HPV vaccine | 35 (46.7) | 45 (38.1) | 0.29 |
I feel comfortable counseling about HPV vaccination | 34 (45.3) | 44 (37.3) | 0.29 |
I would recommend the HPV vaccine to friends and family | 73 (97.3) | 81 (69.2) | <0.001* |
HPV vaccine should be mandatory | 53 (72.6) | 44 (38.3) | <0.001* |