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Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer screening rates are suboptimal in the US, particularly among historically underserved groups like Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+)-identifying women and transgender men. Therefore, our cross-sectional study assessed factors associated with these rates among LGBTQI+-identifying women and transgender men.HPV-related cancer knowledge, HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening status, and the acceptability of self-collection for screening of 1983 LGBTQI+-identifying women and transgender men was assessed via an online survey available to members of the HER mobile app from March to May 2022. Associations between sociodemographic factors, vaccination, and screening were assessed using multivariable logistic regressions from November 2022 to December 2023.Most participants aged 18-26 (77.0%) and 6.3% of participants aged ≥46 (P < 0.001) had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. Cervical cancer screening rates were positively associated with age: 70.5% of those aged 21-26 and 96.1% aged ≥46 (P < 0.001). Screening was negatively associated with male gender identity (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04-0.42; P < 0.001), being uninsured (OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.24-0.67; P < 0.001), and being unvaccinated against HPV (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.18-0.43; P < 0.001). 29.6% of those unscreened believed screening was not needed, and 22.1% were uncomfortable with pelvic exams. 40.4% of all participants would prefer self-collection for screening. Our findings indicate opportunities to increase screening and vaccination. Among under-screened individuals, lack of knowledge about screening necessity and discomfort with pelvic exams were important barriers. Targeted interventions addressing patient knowledge, practitioner communication, and exploring self-screening strategies are warranted., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In United States, only 57% of  women and 53% of men in the recommended age groups have received all recommended doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Healthcare provider education has been associated with strong vaccine recommendation and vaccination uptake. Our objective was to create a 7-min interactive online educational tool to improve knowledge and willingness to recommend the HPV vaccine among nurses. This is a prospective pre-test/post-test study to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational tool consisting of 10 flashcards in a question-answer format. Oncology nurses at our cancer center were invited to participate by email, which led them to the educational tool (i.e., intervention) along with pre- and post-test questions on HPV-associated cancers, vaccine-eligible age groups, dosing schedules, adverse events, and willingness to recommend. Of the 110 participants (mean age of 41.2 ± 11.4, 98% female, 64% >10 years of practice), there was improvement in knowledge after intervention in HPV-associated cancers (81% to 97%; p = 0.02), percentage of cervical caused by HPV (33% to 64%; p < 0.05), and dosing schedule (47% to 93%; p < 0.05). All participants correctly stated that continued screening is needed after vaccination both pre- and post-intervention. Eighty-five percent strongly agreed that the intervention improved their HPV knowledge, and 77% stated they were more likely to recommend the HPV vaccine after the intervention. While nurses are willing to recommend the vaccine, there remains persistent knowledge gaps. A brief 7-min self-administered online interactive flashcard educational intervention is effective in improving the HPV vaccine knowledge among nurses., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is responsible for the majority of oropharyngeal and cervical cancers in the USA. Currently, HPV curricula within medical and dental schools are not standardized. As such, we implemented a brief online educational intervention to increase medical and dental trainees' knowledge of the HPV vaccine and the association between HPV and cancer. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess medical and dental trainees' baseline knowledge regarding HPV and HPV vaccine, (2) determine the willingness to recommend the HPV vaccine to patients, and (3) evaluate the impact of an online intervention on HPV-related knowledge. Medical and dental trainees from two large academic centers in the USA were asked to fill out an online pre-intervention questionnaire, followed by a 10-min HPV educational intervention based on the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resources, and then a post-intervention questionnaire. There were 75 participants (67.4% females; median age 18-30 years). When asked about HPV-related cancer types, the correct response increased from 28.4% (pre-intervention) to 51.9% (post-intervention; p < 0.01). When asked about the prevalence of HPV infections, the correct response improved from 36 to 72% (p < 0.01). There was also a 25.2% improvement in identifying the correct HPV vaccination dosing schedule (p < 0.01). Eighty-seven percent of the participants mentioned that the online education improved their HPV knowledge, and 68.5% reported that they were more likely to recommend HPV vaccine after the online intervention. The proposed online educational intervention was effective at improving HPV-related cancer and HPV vaccine knowledge as well as attitudes towards vaccine recommendation among dental and medical trainees and could be implemented in medical and dental school curricula in the future., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)