Awareness, attitudes and perceptions about HPV and anti-HPV vaccine among women living in Taif, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

There has been a recent surge in the number of cases of Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in Saudi Arabia, despite the country's reputation for conservatism and lower incidence of other sexually transmitted diseases.. The study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of HPV and acceptability HPV vaccination among the female population in the Taif region. A survey was conducted among females aged 18-58 years who were residents of Taif city. A pretested questionnaire was used that included sociodemographic details and items that recorded awareness, knowledge, attitude, and perceptions related to HPV and anti-HPV vaccination. A mixture of convenience and snowball sampling techniques was used to collect responses. About 47.1% had awareness regarding HPV and only 14.8% knew that HPV is a common infection in Saudi Arabia. However, 78.2% knew that unsafe sexual relations could increase the risk of infection with HPV. But only 15.8% believed that there is a treatment for HPV infection. The knowledge related to HPV was found to be poor among 58.5%, and only 10.9% demonstrated poor knowledge. Campaigns to educate people of all ages about human papillomavirus to remain essential for increasing HPV vaccination rates, particularly among women of reproductive age.