INTRODUCTION Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the major causes of head and neck cancer (HNC). The incidence rate of newly diagnosed HPV-induced HNC cancer is on the rise, year-by-year; this is a problem of public health concern. This study aims to determine the prevalence and predictors of knowledge of senior secondary (high) school students in Nigeria on HPV and HPV vaccines. METHODS This study was a cross-sectional survey of 2530 high school students from six states in Nigeria using a selfadministered structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 software. RESULTS The mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 16.4 (±2.0) years, 56.0% were male and 34.9% were from the Yoruba ethnic group. Only 23.0% and 18.3% of the respondents were aware of HPV and HPV vaccine, respectively. The majority (78.2%) of those who were aware of HPV had below-average knowledge score about HPV. Those respondents: in the highest class in high school (AOR=1.36; CI=1.00-1.84; p=0.048); attending girls-only schools (AOR=2.86; CI: 1.93-4.24; p<0.001); and schooling in Bauchi state (AOR=2.56; CI: 1.47-4.51; p=0.001) were most likely to be aware of HPV compared to those in the other categories. However, those: attending girls-only (AOR=2.80; CI: 1.84-4.27; p<0.001); schooling in Bauchi state (AOR=2.87; CI: 1.55-5.33; p=0.001); and belonging to the Hausa tribe (AOR=2.41; CI: 1.51-3.85; p<0.001) were most likely to be aware to HPV vaccine than those in other categories. CONCLUSIONS The level of knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine among high school students in Nigeria is very poor. There is a need for health education programs on HPV and HPV vaccines in Nigerian secondary schools.

Introduction: Head and neck cancer (HNC), oral cancer inclusive (OC), is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths globally, especially in Nigeria – a developing African country. Public literacy about HNC plays a very crucial role in HNC prevention. Aim: This study aimed to systematically review existing literature on literacy of HNC in Nigeria. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Google Scholar and AJOL databases for all relevant English articles published on HNC literacy in Nigeria from January 2000 till October 2020. Only relevant articles were included for the study. Quality assessment of the full text of the included articles was done using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS); also, relevant data were extracted from these articles and analyzed thematically. Results: A total of 21 articles (19 surveys and 2 interventional studies), which studied a total population of 7,883 people, were included in the study. All the included articles were rated “excellent” (70 – 100%), regarding quality. The awareness rates of HNC/OC, as documented in the included studies, ranged from 0% to 100%; however, the rate recorded in the majority of these studies was <50%. In-depth knowledge of HNC/OC was found to be generally poor among the surveyed population groups; however, education intervention was found to improve in-depth knowledge of HNC and attitudes toward peer and nonpeer education about HNC among Nigerians. Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding HNC, in Nigeria, is low. The use of relevant health education programs to boost knowledge about HNC among the Nigerian public is highly recommended.

Oral sex, a risky sexual behaviour, is now a common sexual behaviour in Nigeria. Nigerian clinicians play crucial roles in the promotion of healthy sexual behaviours among the lay public. This study seeks to identify those factors that determine the willingness of Nigerian clinicians to recommend protected oral sex to patients with history of oral sex practice. This study surveyed 330 clinicians in Nigeria, using an e-questionnaire circulated via WhatsApp. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 21 software. The majority (89.1%) of the respondents were willing to recommend protected oral sex for patients engaging in oral sex. Amidst all of the factors (sociodemographic factors, sexual history, etc.) investigated, only one factor (which was the uncertainty about the risk level of oral sex) was found to predict the willingness to recommend protective measures to patients on oral sex (OR = 3.06, p = 0.036). In conclusion, only few factors were found to influence Nigerian clinicians in engaging in patient education on safer oral sex practices.

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Introduction Oral sex is a pleasurable act that has its health implications, particularly sexually transmitted oral infections. In Nigeria, nurses constitute one of the at-risk population groups due to reports of risky sexual behavior among them. This study seeks to investigate the knowledge of nurses in Nigeria on the health implications of oral sex. Methods This study was a survey of a pilot volunteer sample (n = 129) of registered nurses in Nigeria. The study tool was an anonymous questionnaire that was circulated electronically to nurses via social media platforms. Data collected was analyzed using the SPSS Version 20 software (IBM Corp, New York, New York, United States). Results The majority (90.7%) of the 129 respondents had received training on oral health, 49.6% had engaged in oral sex before, and 58.1% were willing to engage in oral sex in future. History of previous oral health training was the only background characteristic found to be statistically significantly associated with the knowledge of oral sex-related health implications among nurses (p-value = 0.004); other characteristics (such as gender, age, and marital status) were not statistically significant (p-values >0.05). From multivariate analysis, history of oral health training was also found to be a statistically significant predictor of such knowledge (p-value = 0.015). Conclusion Oral health knowledge is a significant determinant of the knowledge of oral sex-related health implications. This study also provides the preliminary evidence that forms the base on which further research should be conducted in this area.