Knowledge and acceptability of Human Papilloma Virus vaccine among women attending the obstetrics and gynaecological clinics in a Tertiary Hospital Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Persistent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection of the cervical epithelium is a major risk factor for cervical cancer.
Adopting HPV vaccine as primary prevention for cervical cancer will be the most cost effective public health strategy in reducing
infection risk and the prevalence of cervical cancer especially in Nigeria. This study was carried out to determine the knowledge and
acceptability of HPVvaccine among women in Ado-Ekiti.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was among 389 women, attending gynaecology and antenatal clinics of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital who were selected by systematic random sampling. Data was collected using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire, this was either self-administered or interviewer-administered depending on literacy level. Data analysis was done using SPSS. Chi square test statistics was used to determine the association between categorical variables and p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Only 56 (14.4%) of them had good knowledge of HPV vaccine. Nineteen (73.1%) of those with adolescents girls are willing
(acceptability) to allow them have HPV vaccine. The association between acceptability and knowledge of vaccine was statistically
significant with p value of 0.037.
Conclusion: Most mothers of the adolescent girls' with good knowledge of HPV vaccine are willing to take the vaccine for their daughters. Therefore, public enlightenment will increase acceptability and uptake of HPVamong adolescent girls.

Key words: Knowledge, HPVvaccine, HPVacceptability and Women