Knowledge about HPV, and the Attitudes Toward HPV Vaccination among Adult Women in Asian Countries: A Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose: This literature review was conducted to provide a summary of the findings from research on knowledge and attitudes about human papilloma virus (HPV) and HPV vaccination, and studies of its actual uptake among women in Asian countries. Methods: The author searched the Pubmed, CINAHL, and KISS electronic databases to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2006 and 2011. Results: Seventeen peer-reviewed studies met the inclusion criteria (13 quantitative, 4 qualitative). Findings from seven Asian countries that measured female adult' s knowledge of HPV related issues and attitudes toward HPV vaccination were reviewed. Low level of knowledge about HPV and its related conditions, willingness to be vaccinated, and low uptake of vaccines were identified across the studies. Cultural barriers and social stigmatization about HPV vaccination were also discussed. Conclusion: Findings from this review indicate that adult women in Asian countries are in urgent need of improving HPV related knowledge and its actual vaccination. Policy makers, health care providers, and public health educators should take into account the cultural barriers and attitudes toward HPV vaccination in the process of developing and implementing educational programs and interventions for adult women in Asian countries.

Knowledge towards human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and attitude towards its vaccine in the Kingdom of Bahrain: cross-sectional study

“…Similarly, more than half of Saudi female residents (64%) were found to be receptive of the vaccine in spite of low awareness of the virus 17. This is consistent with the findings of several other regional studies globally 16 25 26 30. Generally, in Bahrain, vaccine coverage reaches almost 100% for routine childhood vaccines as of 2016 reports 31…”

“…Systematic reviews done across Asian countries and sub-Saharan Africa also revealed poor knowledge of HPV and its vaccine 25 26. In contrast, a higher rate of awareness (61.1%) was reported in an online study across the USA, the UK and Australia, including 2409 participants, with USA in the lead 27.…”

Knowledge and awareness about human papillomavirus infection and its vaccination among women in Arab communities

“…Refraining from recommending the vaccine to children can be understood considering the fragility of this population coupled with the low detected level of knowledge regarding the vaccine. The willingness of women to take the HPV vaccine despite their poor knowledge about it has also been reported by other researchers in both Arab and other countries 31 – 34 .…”

Awareness and Knowledge of Medical, Nursing and Midwifery Students About Human Papillomavirus Infection and its Vaccine in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2020

“…The discrepancy could be due to the lack of a proper curriculum in medical education and lack of general education regarding HPV in the University. Systematic reviews in Asian countries indicates poor awareness/knowledge of HPV infection in students [11,23,24]. While, in literature a higher level of awareness/knowledge of HPV was reported in western countries such as the UK and Canada [25].…”