A study on the predictors of Korean male students' intention to receive human papillomavirus vaccination.

Abstract

The objective was to survey the current state of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and the predictors of vaccination intention among Korean male students of high school (ages 15-19) and university (ages 17-27). Human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted infectious agent causing uterine cervical, anal, and/or penile cancer and genital warts in males and females. Infection rate of human papillomavirus increases from the age when sexual intercourse first occurs. Therefore, motivation to receive human papillomavirus vaccination is needed to protect infection. Cross-sectional descriptive survey was performed only in male students. They are less aware of human papillomavirus than females, because human papillomavirus vaccination has been targeted on females for preventing cervical cancer in Korea. Data were collected using a self-reporting questionnaire for male high school and university students sampled from a city in Korea. Human papillomavirus vaccine-related knowledge, health beliefs, demographic, and sexual history information variables relating to intentions to vaccinate were assessed. The human papillomavirus vaccination rate was very low and the levels of knowledge and health beliefs were low. The significant predictors that raised the intention of human papillomavirus vaccination were a university student, experience of sexual intercourse and perceiving the benefits of human papillomavirus vaccination. To promote human papillomavirus vaccination, educational programming targeting males should include health beliefs and knowledge, emphasising that vaccination is important to prevent uterine cervical cancer and to role as a preventative measure against common male diseases. Male high school students should be included as a major target population for school human papillomavirus education programmes, as they are at the age of commencing sexual intercourse. In addition, public health policies including human papillomavirus vaccination in the national immunisation programme are warranted.