Abstract
IntroductionHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease worldwide. One of the barriers to the implementation of prevention programs against the disease is the limited knowledge possessed by most populations regarding the virus and its possible consequences. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Brazilian college students on transmission, clinical manifestations, and diseases correlated with HPV, highlighting the poor knowledge of a very common infection. MethodsA total of 194 students answered a questionnaire about transmission, clinical features and the possible consequences of persistent HPV infection. The questionnaire was self-applied under the supervision of the authors. ResultsThe clinical manifestations of HPV infection were not clear to most students. Incorrect assumptions of the clinical manifestations of HPV infection included: bleeding (25%), pain (37%) and rashes (22%). Twelve per cent of respondents did not recognize warts as an HPV-related disease. Regarding potential consequences of persistent infection, students did not recognize a relationship between HPV and laryngeal carcinoma (80.9%), pharyngeal carcinoma (78.9%), anal carcinoma (73.2%), vulvar carcinoma (65.4%) and vaginal carcinoma (54.6%). Large portions of the population evaluated were unaware of modes of HPV transmission beyond genital contact. ConclusionKnowledge of HPV by the population evaluated in this study is partial and fragmented. Lack of knowledge may contribute to the further spread of the disease. Public health policies for education and guidance of the population should be implemented in Brazil.
Highlights
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease worldwide
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of college students on issues involved in transmission of the virus, clinical manifestations and potential consequences of persistent HPV infections, identifying gaps in knowledge and contributing to educational campaigns
Our results indicate that the majority (63.4%) of respondents feel fully protected against HPV infection when using condoms
Summary
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Brazilian college students on transmission, clinical manifestations, and diseases correlated with HPV, highlighting the poor knowledge of a very common infection. Methods: A total of 194 students answered a questionnaire about transmission, clinical features and the possible consequences of persistent HPV infection. Results: The clinical manifestations of HPV infection were not clear to most students. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the etiological agent of the most common viral infection of the genital tract worldwide. The clinical impact of HPV-related disease encompasses a range of benign and malignant disorders.[1]. HPV infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease worldwide, with over 14 million new cases reported in the United States in 2008. Based on differences in the genomic sequence of L1, the gene encoding the major capsid protein, more than 190 types of HPV have been identified by molecular analysis.[3]
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