Acceptability of HPV vaccines and perceptions related to genital warts and penile/anal cancers among men who have sex with men in Hong Kong

Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of contracting HIV and developing genital warts and penile/anal cancers. HPV vaccines are efficacious in preventing such HPV-related diseases among males and WHO recommends its use to young MSM. In a cross-sectional survey, 542 MSM were interviewed. After being briefed about the vaccines’ efficacies and the market price, the prevalence of acceptability of HPV vaccination was 29.2%. Adjusted by significant background variables, perceived high/very high chances of contracting genital warts [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.04, 95%CI=1.11–3.72] and penile/anal cancers (AOR=1.89, 95%CI=1.09–3.29) among local MSM, perceived moderately high mortality rate of penile/anal cancers (AOR=1.78, 95%CI=1.13–2.81), fear toward penile/anal cancers (moderate: AOR=1.75, 95%CI=1.07–2.86; high/very high: AOR=1.82, 95%CI=1.13–2.92) and disagreement with the statement “MSM in general are not willing to take HPV vaccines” (AOR=1.82, 95%CI=1.24–2.68) were associated with the conditional acceptability. Acceptability of this new measure is reasonably high and there are rooms for improvement. Implementation trials to promote HPV vaccination by changing cognitions such as HPV-related risk perceptions, norms and perceptions toward anal/penile cancer are greatly warranted.