UCLA

Educating College Students About Human Papillomavirus

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US affecting almost 60% of college women ages 20 to 24 years. At one west coast community college, two thirds of males and half of females were unaware of HPV vaccine recommendation through age 26 years. Objectives: This aim of this project is to determine if an evidence-based online educational video about HPV and HPV vaccine would increase knowledge of HPV and intent to receive the vaccine among community college students enrolled in urban and suburban community colleges in Southern California. Measured outcomes of interest included HPV knowledge and intent to receive HPV vaccine. Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group pre-posttest design was used to determine the effect of the HPV educational video on a sample of 24 gender and ethnically diverse community college students ages 18 through 26 years. Knowledge changes were measured using an online Student HPV-Knowledge Assessment immediately before and after video education. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and the McNemar chi-square test for paired dichotomous variables. Results: Study results revealed all participants were aware of HPV and a majority was aware of the vaccine. Findings confirmed increased knowledge of HPV, perception of risk, and increased intent to get HPV vaccine in participants who were previously aware of disease following the intervention. These results support the utility of an online educational intervention to increase knowledge of HPV and intent of HPV vaccine uptake. Conclusion: HPV infection is common. Awareness of vaccines as protection from disease is increased during the pandemic, providing opportunity for influence of increased HPV vaccine uptake. The impact of HPV vaccine education through an educational video may be an effective method to reach young college students to heighten awareness and increase knowledge of HPV leading to increased HPV vaccine uptake. Future studies may examine if widespread education on vaccination as disease prevention during pandemic conditions could have impact on other vaccine uptake, specifically HPV vaccine, or if perception of risk from HPV infection might be overshadowed by perception of risk for COVID-19 and thus affect vaccine interest.