Knowledge and acceptance of the HPV vaccine and sexual risk perceptions among Emory's undergraduate student population Público

Abstract

Knowledge and acceptance of the HPV vaccine and sexual risk perceptions among
Emory's undergraduate student population

Following the approval of the first ever vaccine that protects females from
HPV strains that are associated with the majority of cervical cancer cases, uptake of
the vaccine has been a major health issue, and a plethora of studies have examined the
factors that are associated with vaccine adoption among young adults and college
students. This study follows up on current work that suggests that higher knowledge
and awareness of HPV and the vaccine lead to greater vaccination coverage. Emory
undergraduate students, both male and female, participated in an online survey and
follow-up interviews to gauge students' perceptions of the vaccine and their views on
sexual activity on college campuses under the influence of the "hook-up" culture that
exists among the student community. The aim of the study was to gauge whether
knowledge or culture held more weight in determining students' intentions to be
vaccinated and their sexual decision-making processes that may lead to increased
STD transmission. The results suggest that knowledge does not play a significant role
in whether a student gets vaccinated or not; rather, perceptions of the vaccine and a
student's own sexual activity level were more accurate predictors of vaccination
intent. Students discussed the hook-up culture in their interviews in terms of its
ambiguity and how it takes away some of the consequences of having sex with casual
partners on Emory's campus. Among Emory's undergraduate student population,
knowledge on safe sex competes with cultural ideals and norms that encourage or
even reward increased sexual behavior among students. In this context, the
importance of HPV vaccination is underscored, and vaccine marketing officials,
public health practitioners, and health educators alike need to work around students'
perceptions of the vaccine and the high cost to ensure maximum coverage in this most
vulnerable age population.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. METHODS 21

III. RESULTS 25

IV. DISCUSSION 56

V. CONCLUSION 79

VI. APPENDIX 82

VII. REFERENCES 86

List of Tables and Figures

Table 1 Sample characteristics 25

Table 2 Descriptive knowledge score results 26

Figure 1 Knowledge score distribution 26

Table 3 Opinions on getting the vaccine (men-only) 27

Table 4 Knowledge of HPV infection, vaccine and opinions on vaccination

(women-only) 28

Table 5 HPV vaccine adoption status (women-only) 29

Table 6 Differences in knowledge of HPV infection by sex 30

Table 7 Differences in opinion on HPV vaccination, risk, and severity by sex 31

Table 8 Differences in knowledge of HPV infection by vaccine adoption status 33

Table 9 Differences in opinion on HPV vaccination, risk, and severity by

vaccine adoption status 34

Table 10 Differences in knowledge of HPV infection by sexual activity status 37

Table 11 Differences in opinion on HPV vaccination, risk, and severity by

sexual activity status 38

Table 12 Differences in knowledge scores by vaccine adoption status, wanting

the vaccine (men-only), PE 101, and sexual activity status 40

Table 13 Association between getting the vaccine in women and perceived HPV

risk and associating the vaccine with sex 40

Table 14 Association between wanting the vaccine in men and perceived HPV

risk and associating the vaccine with sex 41

Table 15 Association between getting the vaccine in women and knowledge of

when vaccine is most effective and risk of vaccination 41

Table 16 Association between getting the vaccine in women and any knowledge

of when vaccine is most effective and risk of vaccination 42

Table 17 All factors associated with getting the vaccine in women 43

Table 18 All factors associated with wanting the vaccine in men 44

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Anthropology
Degree	BS
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Anthropology, Medical and Forensic Health Sciences, General Sociology, General
Palabra Clave	risk compensation sexual risk perceptions vaccine controversy hook-up culture HPV vaccine
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Hadley, Craig, Emory University
Committee Members	Worthman, Carol, Emory University Arp, Meggan J, Emory University

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