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Gichane, M. W., Calo, W. A., McCarthy, S. H., Walmer, K. A., Boggan, J. C., & Brewer, N. T. (2017). Human papillomavirus awareness in Haiti: Preparing for a national HPV vaccination program. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 30(1), 96-101. Article 003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2016.07.003
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Cervical cancer morbidity and mortality are pressing public health issues that affect women in Haiti. To inform efforts to develop a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program in Haiti, we sought to understand HPV awareness and willingness to get HPV vaccination in Haiti.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We interviewed a convenience sample of 475 women and men in 2 clinical settings in Port-au-Prince and Léogâne, Haiti between April and July 2014.
INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HPV awareness and willingness to get HPV vaccine for daughters.
RESULTS: Few participants (27%, 130/475) had heard of HPV. Awareness of HPV was higher among respondents with a previous sexually transmitted infection compared with those without a previous sexually transmitted infection (odds ratio, 2.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-5.13). Adults who had heard of genital warts were also more likely to be aware of HPV compared with those who had not (odds ratio, 4.37; 95% confidence interval, 2.59-7.38). Only 10% (24/250) of parents had previously heard of HPV vaccine; however, after researchers explained the purpose of the vaccine, nearly all (96%, 240/250) said they would be willing to get HPV vaccine for their daughters if it were available.
CONCLUSION: Despite low awareness of HPV in Haiti, interest in HPV vaccination was nearly universal in our study of health care-seeking adults. This high acceptability suggests that HPV vaccination programs instituted in Haiti would be well received.