Getting Vaccinated against HPV: Attitudes, Intentions and Perceived Barriers of Female Undergraduates

This study examines college women's intention to receive the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine and their perceived barriers to being vaccinated. The study reports findings from an online questionnaire completed by 856 undergraduate women enrolled in a required personal health course at a large (27,000 plus) southeastern university. The majority of the respondents (78.6%) indicated that they would get the vaccine; however, only 60.7% of the respondents who self-identified as not yet sexually active reported that they plan to be vaccinated. Side effects, costs and lack of knowledge about the vaccine were most often indicated as barriers to receiving the vaccine. Education about HPV and the vaccine is needed to address the perceived barriers to vaccination. (Contains 3 tables.)