Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of Swedish school nurses when they offered the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination to girls aged 10–12 years. Four focus groups with a total of 17 school nurses were conducted and analyzed using inductive content analysis. The results showed that the school nurses were balancing between keeping a neutral role and the need to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccination. They described the consent forms and information that they gave the girls and their parents to help them make an informed decision about the vaccination. There were also ethical and moral dilemmas that arose with regard to the HPV vaccinations. Our findings demonstrate the need to provide school nurses with clear guidelines and support, so they can play an active role in interacting with the girls and their parents when they offer the HPV vaccination.
Highlights
Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer form in women worldwide, and figures from the World Health Organization (WHO, 2018) show that this cancer is responsible for more than 270,000 deaths every year
It emerged clear that the school nurses needed to play an active role to encourage vaccination, by providing the girls and their parents with information and delivering the vaccine
They used strategies to inform the girls and their parents about the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, and this included passing on material provided by official information sources
Summary
Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer form in women worldwide, and figures from the World Health Organization (WHO, 2018) show that this cancer is responsible for more than 270,000 deaths every year. Most HPV infections are resolved without treatment, but all females face the risk that some HPV infections may progress to cervical cancer over time (Zur Hausen, 2006). Screening for high-risk HPVs provides cost-effective secondary prevention for cervical cancer, when it is combined with the HPV vaccination (WHO, 2018, 2019). The first HPV vaccine was registered in 2006, and the WHO recommends that all countries should offer it as part of the primary prevention measures included in their national vaccination programs. By March 2017, 71 countries had added the HPV vaccine to their vaccination programs for girls and 11 countries had introduced it for boys (WHO, 2017). One study found that most countries that provide the HPV vaccine do so when the girls are 9–14 years of age (Markowitz et al, 2012). The highest vaccination rates have been achieved by government-financed school programs (Wang et al, 2019)
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Schedule a callMore From: The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses
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