Examining Facilitators of HPV Vaccination Uptake in Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Cross-Sectional Survey Design

Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) in England are eligible for vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) via specialist sexual health services and HIV clinics. Uptake among clinic attendees is incomplete, but the reason for this is unclear. We do not know who is accessing and being offered the vaccine. This cross-sectional study conducted in England examined socio-demographic correlates of vaccine uptake for MSM and how frequently the vaccine is being offered in clinics. MSM completed an online questionnaire asking about socio-demographic characteristics, whether they had recently attended a sexual health or HIV clinic, and if so, whether they had been offered the vaccine, and vaccination status. Around 52% of MSM (N = 115; mean age = 30.2) had received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 70% of clinic attendees had been offered the vaccine. MSM were more likely to have initiated the vaccine series if they were homosexual (versus bisexual; OR: 5.22; 95% CI: 1.55–17.51) or had heard about the vaccine from one or two types of sources (versus no sources: OR: 14.70; 95% CI: 4.00–54.00 and OR: 26.00; 5.74–117.77 respectively). Initiation was not associated with age, ethnicity, education level, or number of sexual partners. Hepatitis B vaccination status was associated with vaccination initiation only in unadjusted models. The majority of eligible MSM are being offered the vaccine in clinics. Socio-demographic differences in uptake of the HPV vaccine among MSM may lead to inequalities in HPV-related disease.

Sexual health clinic attendees’ views on antibiotic post-exposure prophylaxis and vaccinations for sexually transmitted infections prevention: A qualitative study

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to compare views on APEP and vaccination. Nonetheless, greater uptake of vaccinations for HPV amongst MSM who had heard about vaccination from more than one source suggest vaccination may be acceptable to those already using APEP, if available ( Stearns et al, 2020 ).…”

Attitudes and Practices towards HPV Vaccination and Its Social Processes in Europe: An Equity-Focused Scoping Review

“…Studies were conducted in 10 countries. Eleven studies were conducted in England [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36], the first two publications in 2008, four in 2009 (the year that the government immunization program began with HPV vaccination of girls aged 12-13 years), and the last in 2020. All articles provided data concerning the role of ethnicity in HPV vaccination uptake.…”

Factors Related to HPV Vaccination Intention among MSM in China: A Bayesian Network Model

“…Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the factors associated with HPV vaccination intention among the MSM population is vital to increase HPV vaccination coverage among the MSM population. Previous studies have used logistic regression based on independent conditions to explore factors associated with vaccination intention and have used odds ratios (ORs) to reflect the degree of association [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. In reality, factors are often interdependent, and relationships may have a complex network structure.…”