The new vaccine that can prevent infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV) is still a controversial issue.  While the vaccination will not replace cervical cancer screening programs (regular gynecological exams with Pap smear test) for early detection and treatment of HPV infection and cervical cancer, most agree that this first chance in the history of medicine to prevent cancer by vaccination is one of the great recent achievements in women’s health, and that women should be aware of the vaccination and have easy access to the vaccine should they choose to use it.  

In a recent study, Dr. Maria Alexandrova of the Southern Illinois University explored knowledge about and utilization of the vaccine among college-age women.  Female college students at Minnesota State University, Mankato were asked about their awareness of HPV vaccination, whether they had access to the vaccine, and whether they had received the vaccination or planned to do so in the future. 

Although the majority of study participants were aware of the HPV vaccine and the cost was not a barrier, the number who had actually received the vaccination was low among this population. However, trends showed that the younger students were the ones who either planned to get the vaccination or had already received the vaccination.   Their main source of information was medical professionals and mass media

Dr. Alexandrova recommended that health education might facilitate conscious decision making in favor of the HPV vaccination.  In order to encourage female college students to receive the full benefit of the HPV vaccination, information about the HPV vaccine should be incorporated into the curricula of health-related classes taken by students, especially freshmen and sophomores, or even students at high schools and their parents before students become sexually active and exposed to HPV.  Dr. Alexandrova also recommended that information about immunization programs, including HPV, should be available on campus during new student orientations for both domestic and international students.  Finally, she recommended the creation of an immunization counseling program through student health services to address individual concerns about the HPV vaccination.

For further study, the findings suggested that there is a need to collect survey data from a sample with more ethnic and religious diversity, which might yield different findings concerning awareness, accessibility, and application of the HPV vaccine.  There is also need for further investigation of other barriers that might prevent college students from getting the HPV vaccine, such as attitudes about preventive health care, concerns about side effects, and attitudes about mandatory vaccination programs.  Needs assessment are also needed, to eliminate disparities in prevention access for those who cannot afford the vaccine.  Another recommendation is to study the awareness of the need for protection against HPV, and not just among the female population; we need to look at awareness about HPV and the vaccine among the male population, and to conduct cost-benefit analysis for HPV vaccination for men.