Characteristics of HPV-unvaccinated undergraduate health students in Switzerland, a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, intended for young women aged 11–14 years old, has been introduced in Switzerland in 2007. Ten years after its introduction, only a few studies have explored the reasons associated with uptake and non-uptake of the vaccination. Our objective was to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of a population of vaccinated and unvaccinated undergraduate healthcare female students, to define the reasons of non-uptake of vaccination, and compare our findings with those found in other Swiss cantons. Methods Between January and November 2017, women studying in Health Sciences School and Medical School in Geneva, aged 18–31 years old, were recruited in a large trial assessing HPV prevalence. As part of a smaller, observational study nested in this larger trial, women were invited to complete a questionnaire. Self-reported HPV vaccination uptake or non-uptake, as well as knowledge and attitude about HPV vaccination were assessed. T-Test and Chi square test were used to compare characteristics of vaccinated and unvaccinated women. Results Overall, 409 women were recruited in the study. The majority of them (69.1%) reported having been vaccinated for HPV, while 30.9% of them had never received any dose of the HPV vaccine. The only factor associated with a higher vaccination rate was the participants’ origin, as women from Geneva were more represented in the vaccinated group than women from other Swiss regions or countries. Unvaccinated women were more likely to consider HPV vaccination as less important than the vaccinated ones (50.4% vs 3.5% p < 0.001 ). Conclusion Although no typical profile can be established in this studied population of unvaccinated women, a lack of information was a major reason of non-uptake of vaccination among the study participants. An effort by health authorities and carefully designed messages are essential to increase the population’s awareness over cervical cancer and its prevention. Trial registration The trial was registered under cliniclatrials.gov with the identifier: NCT03474211.

Differences in human papilloma virus vaccination prevalence, testing, knowledge on vaccination, cancer awareness and sexual activities between male and female medical and non‐medical students

“…The average age of first sexual intercourse in participating students is similar to published data from Italian 10 , Spanish 11 and to that of female students in a Swiss study, but lower than for male students from the same study 12 . The number of respondents who have started sexual relationships in our study was similar to Brazilian medical students 13 but lower than in Spanish and Swiss students 11,14 …”

“…12 The number of respondents who have started sexual relationships in our study was similar to Brazilian medical students 13 but lower than in Spanish and Swiss students. 11,14 Similar to our study, in Spanish and Chinese studies medical students had a higher level of knowledge on HPV and its relationship with cancer and HPV vaccination than non-medical students. 11,15 Spanish medical students also had a later age of sexual initiation, as in our study, but medical students from our study had the same HPV vaccination rates as their non-medical counterparts.…”

“…However, other limiting factors were also reported in different countries: concerns about the safety of the HPV vaccine and its potential side-effects, insufficient information and knowledge to make an informed decision, feeling safe from the infection, low efficacy of the vaccine and parental concerns have all been mitigating factors in the global vaccine uptake. 13,14,20 Some parents were also concerned that vaccination would encourage their children to become sexually active, as the children would believe that they were protected from contracting sexually transmitted infections. 20 However, there is no evidence that vaccination again HPV leads to increased promiscuity or unsafe sexual practices.…”

Human Papillomavirus Infection and Vaccination: Knowledge, Attitude and Perception among Undergraduate Men and Women Healthcare University Students in Switzerland

“…This was the first study to assess knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination in a population of undergraduate men and women healthcare students in Switzerland. Previously published studies have sought to assess the prevalence of different HPV strains (only in nurses and midwife women) and the reasons and socio-demographic characteristics of the unvaccinated women [18,19]. This study also represents the first effort in evaluating the HPV vaccination coverage rate in a population of young men.…”

Cobertura vacinal contra o papiloma vírus humano (HPV) e fatores associados em acadêmicas de uma universidade do sudoeste goiano

“…Em Marselha, na França, estudo envolvendo 2018 estudantes do ensino médio e universitários, nas idades entre 15 e 45 anos, apresentou prevalência de 35,4% para as três doses 22 . O estudo transversal com cobertura mais elevada foi realizado na Suíça em 2017, com 409 mulheres estudantes de medicina, com idades entre 18 e 31 anos, revelando prevalência de 69,1% 23 .…”