114. Factors Associated With Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Acceptance Among Haitian and African-American Parents of Adolescent Sons

Abstract

HPV knowledge is very low in both African American and Haitian parents, and vaccination rates are very low in their adolescent sons. Improving knowledge and vaccination rates will require culturally competent educational interventions addressing the distinct informational needs of each community. Physicians are uniquely situated to provide culturally competent education and should address patients’ vaccination preferences by routinely offering HPV vaccination to male patients. Introduction/Purpose Genital Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. Approximately 90 % of anal and penile cancers, 100 % of cervical cancers, 40 % of vaginal and vulvar cancers, 20-60 % of oral cancers, and 90 % of genital warts are attributable to HPV. In October 2011, the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) updated their statement to recommend HPV vaccination for 11-21 year old males for the prevention of genital warts and anal cancers. Currently little data exists on parental views towards HPV vaccination in adolescent sons. As the US black community is ethnically diverse, we set out to explore cultural differences in attitudes towards HPV vaccination in African-American parents and Haitian Immigrant parents of adolescent sons. These insights will be used to create a short, practical, physicianbased, educational intervention geared toward increasing HPV vaccine acceptance. Factors associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptance among Haitian and African-American parents of adolescent sons