Parent HPV vaccine perspectives and the likelihood of HPV vaccination of adolescent males

Abstract

In 2013, approximately one-third of US adolescent males age 13-17 y had received ≥1 doses of HPV vaccines and only 14% had received ≥3 doses. This study used a nationally representative, online survey to explore experiences and attitudes related to HPV vaccination among parents with adolescent sons. Analyses compared the perspective of parents who do not intend to initiate HPV vaccine for ≥1 adolescent son to that of parents who are likely to initiate or continue HPV vaccination. Of 809 parents of sons age 11-17 years, half were classified as Unlikely to Initiate HPV vaccination and 39% as Likely to Vaccinate. A higher proportion of the Likely to Vaccinate group felt their son's doctor was knowledgeable about HPV vaccine, did a good job explaining its purpose, and spent more time discussing HPV vaccine; in contrast, over half of the Unlikely to Initiate group had never discussed HPV vaccine with their child's doctor. The majority of parents in both groups showed favorable attitudes to adolescent vaccination in general, with lower levels of support for HPV vaccine-specific statements. Physician-parent communication around HPV vaccine for adolescent males should build on positive attitude toward vaccines in general, while addressing parents' HPV vaccine-specific concerns.

Provider communication about HPV vaccination: A systematic review

“…4 One small study found that most parents who discussed HPV vaccination with a provider reported receiving adequate information on prevention topics. 84 In contrast, qualitative studies with parents from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds suggested some degree of dissatisfaction with HPV vaccine communication, with some parents reporting too little information, limited opportunities to ask questions, or ambiguous recommendations. 61,71,77,78,98,99 For these parents, the perception that providers were withholding information was a source of confusion that introduced doubt about the value of HPV vaccination, discouraged vaccine acceptance, and in some cases undercut parents' trust in providers.…”

“…However, the existing literature consistently supported the assertion that providers often communicated about HPV vaccine differently from other vaccines in discrete ways. Quantitative and qualitative studies found that providers spent longer talking about HPV vaccine than other vaccines, 11,27,35,74,76,84 endorsed HPV vaccine less strongly than Tdap and meningococcal vaccines, 11,12,22,74,87 and often presented HPV vaccine as an "optional" vaccine vs. one that was "routine" or "required." 12,22,38,74,79,91 Finally, one study found that, among providers with a preferred order for discussing adolescent vaccines, over two-third preferred to discuss HPV vaccine last.…”

“…22 Although two studies sought to assess the association between the prevention content and HPV vaccine acceptance, results were inconclusive. 60,84 Content about safety and side effects featured somewhat less prominently in studies of provider communication about HPV vaccination. Qualitative studies suggested that some parents and adolescents prioritized safety and side effects as important topics for discussion, 19,21,38,61,82 but studies of actual content suggested that such communication was fairly limited.…”

A Quality Improvement Project to Increase the Rate of HPV Vaccination Initiation in Adolescents

“…Knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes in regard to HPV, the vaccine, and the negative implications associated with the disease were present in qualitative studies in the literature. Parental refusal and gender, more specifically refusal in male adolescents, were the most common topics in regards to knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about the HPV vaccination [17][18][19][20].…”

Physicians’ current use and preferences for male HPV vaccine-related patient education materials

“…Provider recommendation is critical to vaccine uptake [4-6]. Some studies suggest that adequate, clear, and accessible information for parents may enhance acceptance of a provider’s recommendation and improve confidence and trust in the system [7-9]. However, little is known about physicians’ current use of or preferences for educational materials regarding HPV vaccination.…”