Abstract
Objectives: To explore attitudes to cervical cancer screening and sexual behaviour among human papillomavirus (HPV)-vaccinated young women in southern Sweden. Methods: Sixteen women aged 17-26 years who had received the HPV vaccine were submitted to an individual semi-structured interview. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed qualitatively by means of latent content analysis. Results: The interviewees had a poor understanding of cervical cancer screening. After it was explained to them, they stated that they were willing to participate in the screening. The young women thought their future sexual behaviour would not be affected by the vaccination. They considered themselves to be more aware of it and less likely to engage in risky behaviour than their peers. They knew little about the relation among HPV, sexual transmission and cervical cancer, and they expressed a desire for more information. Conclusions: These young women who recently had been administered HPV vaccine had a limited understanding of the importance of participating in future cervical cancer screening. It is necessary that more and more appropriate information of cervical cancer screening be given on the occasion of the HPV vaccination.
Highlights
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
In Sweden, HPV prevalence was determined in women aged 15 - 23 years visiting youth clinics, and of 544 successfully analysed samples from non-vaccinated individuals, 62% were positive for high-risk HPV types [2]
It will take several years before the first cohort of HPV-vaccinated young women be invited to submit to cancer screening (CCS), and as many to evaluate the impact of HPV vaccination on sexual behaviour and attendance of CCS programmes
Summary
It is estimated that 50% - 80% of sexually active women and men become infected at some point in their lives. Most of the 100 known HPV types cause asymptomatic infections, but some are implicated in the genesis of cervical cancer, anogenital cancer, oropharyngeal cancer and other neoplasias [1,2]. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers due to its gradual development from the precursor lesions into invasive cancer, which usually takes ten to twelve years. Since this condition develops over a long period, abnormal changes can be detected and treated in early stages
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