Reasons patients cite to their healthcare provider for not initiating or completing HPV vaccination.

Abstract

Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is critical to the prevention of HPV-associated cancers. This study aimed to describe the reasons cited by patients for not initiating or completing the HPV vaccination series, as reported by healthcare providers. Study data was obtained from a University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center population-based cross-sectional survey of healthcare providers practicing in Texas. Prevalence estimates of reasons cited for not initiating or completing HPV vaccination were estimated by patient population (i. parents of children and ii. adult patients). The study included 973 primary care providers, of which 45.53% were physicians and 54.47% were mid-level care providers. For parents who did not initiate the HPV vaccine for their child, the most commonly cited reasons were the belief that the vaccine was not needed (52.54%, 95% CI: 48.90-56.15), that the child was not sexually active (52.54%, 95% CI: 48.90-56.15), and safety concerns/side effects (47.05%, 95% CI: 43.44-50.69). Among age-eligible adults who did not initiate HPV vaccination, lack of knowledge and awareness was the most commonly cited reason (30.52%, 95% CI: 27.71-33.50). For non-completion of the HPV vaccine series, competing priorities was most commonly cited by parents (41.29% 95% CI: 37.76-44.91), followed by adverse reactions after the first dose (16.05%, 95% CI: 13.56-18.90). For non-completion of the HPV vaccine series among adults, competing priorities was also the most cited reason (31.04%, 95% CI: 28.20-34.02). These findings highlight the importance of addressing misconceptions and improving education about HPV vaccination to increase vaccination uptake rates and prevent HPV-related cancers.