Knowledge and Awareness of Genital Warts among Female College Students in Iran and Its Role in Vaccination

Abstract

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is capable of infecting individuals engaging in sexual activity at some points in their lives. As general vaccination of children and adolescents is not a standard practice in Iran, this study aimed to assess the awareness of Iranian female college students regarding HPV and its associated vaccinations.Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted in 2020 on a cohort of 350 female college students from Shahed University, Iran. Participants were selected through a convenience sampling technique, with the determined sample size based on the enrollment in each faculty. An electronic questionnaire was prepared and administered virtually to the participating students.Results: The mean age of the participants in this study was 21.63±1.93 years. Remarkably, 90% of the students were familiar with genital warts, while only 41% were knowledgeable about the available vaccine. Additionally, a third of the participants were unaware of the sexual transmission of HPV, and half were uninformed about the association between various cancers and genital warts. The average score for overall knowledge was 6.19±3.54. Notably, a significant correlation was observed among age, academic years of study, faculty affiliation, and knowledge about HPV and its vaccine (P<0.001). Interestingly, academic education emerged as the primary source of information after public media and the Internet.Conclusion: The level of knowledge concerning HPV and its associated vaccine among the study participants was predominantly moderate. Considering the pivotal link between cervical cancer and HPV, the significance of providing adequate information and education on preventive measures cannot be overstated.

Keywords

• human papilloma virus
• cancer
• knowledge