Awareness and knowledge of physicians and residents on the non-sexual routes of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and their perspectives on anti-HPV vaccination in Jordan

Abstract

Background and objectives Although penetrative sex is the most common route of HPV infection, there is strong evidence of non-sexual modes of transmission. As the first of its kind, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge and awareness of Jordanian physicians on such routes. Methods A questionnaire was conducted among a national Jordanian sample of physicians from Jordanian health sectors. The survey included questions assessing participants’ knowledge on HPV, non-sexual routes of infection and HPV vaccines. Physicians’ attitudes towards HPV screening and vaccination were covered. Statistical analysis was carried out using SAS 9.4, ANOVA, post-hoc Tukey-Honest test and Kruskal-Wallis test. All significant differences were set at α = 0.05. Results A total of 412 participants completed the survey. Physicians showed a huge deficit in knowledge on nonsexual routes of HPV transmission. They agreed that the most and least common routes of non-sexual transmission are skin to mucosa (64%) and contaminated water (15%), respectively. Females showed significantly better knowledge in all aspects of HPV transmission and vaccination (p<0.0001) and more positive attitudes towards HPV screening and vaccination compared to males (p = 0.03). Age group ≤ 25 and academic physicians demonstrated higher knowledge on HPV vaccines compared to their counterparts in non-academic places (p = 0.002). Specialty and experience seemed to have no impact on knowledge or attitudes of participants. Higher knowledge physicians had more positive attitude towards vaccination and screening compared to lower knowledge fellows (p<0.001). Conclusions The noteworthy findings of this study is the extremely low level of knowledge on non-sexual routes of HPV infection among Jordanian physicians. Increasing the level of awareness of physicians and healthcare workers on these routes and their association with cervical and other cancers through university curricula and other reliable sources is strongly recommended.

Human Papillomavirus Is Rare and Does Not Correlate with p16INK4A Expression in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in a Jordanian Subpopulation

“…In Jordan, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and recent estimates expect an increasing burden of lung cancer on public health, particularly with increasing smoking habits. Further, the prevalence of HPV, despite being relatively low, seems to be increasing in Jordan [26]. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no data that link lung cancer and HPV among Jordanian patients.…”

Human Papillomavirus-Associated Giant Clear Cell Acanthoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review

“…The meta-analysis by Chahoud et al in 2016 provides compelling evidence of a significant association between β-genus HPV and cSCC, with an adjusted pooled odds ratio indicating a moderate but statistically significant risk. Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV), a rare genodermatosis caused by mutations in the EVER1 and EVER2 genes, exemplifies the role of HPV in skin carcinogenesis [71,74,75]. Individuals with EV exhibit an abnormal susceptibility to specific HPV types, leading to a high risk of skin carcinoma.…”

A Systematic Review of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Factors Influencing HPV Vaccine Acceptance Among Adolescents, Parents, Teachers, and Healthcare Professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region

“…Conversely, 97.8% of female physicians, including gynecologists and pediatricians, were overwhelmingly supportive of vaccination and actively provided information to the public [18]. Conversely, older male physicians, especially senior consultants, exhibited negative attitudes toward HPV vaccination and demonstrated limited knowledge [20][21]. All the studies highlighted various influencing factors, such as time constraints, parental beliefs, controversy surrounding discussions on sexual health, financial limitations, and personal beliefs.…”