The role of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related stigma on HPV vaccine decision-making among college males

The goals of the present study are (1) to identify sociodemographic and psychosocial predictors of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related stigma and (2) to examine the relationship between HPV-related stigma in predicting HPV vaccine decision-making among college males.Six hundred and eighty college males aged 18-26 from 3 Canadian universities were recruited from September 2013 to April 2014.Participants completed a self-report survey assessing HPV-related stigma, psychosocial predictors of HPV-related stigma, and HPV vaccine decision-making. The results were analyzed using variance analyses and linear regressions.Ethnicity, province of residence, and perceived severity of HPV were found to significantly influence HPV-related stigma. In addition, HPV-related stigma was higher in those unaware of the availability of the HPV vaccine for males.Promotion efforts should concentrate on Asian minorities and should avoid HPV severity messaging, as these may lead to higher HPV-related stigma, which in turn may act as a barrier to vaccination.