Abstract
Background: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the viruses that causes high mortality rates worldwide, and if not detected and treated early, it may lead to fatal complications such as cervical cancer and breast cancer. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of female students regarding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and its vaccines at a selected University in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods: A quantitative approach was adopted in this cross-sectional descriptive study. The target population was all female students residing in the university residences on campus, and a sample size of 310 students was determined. A systematic sampling technique was used to select the rooms of students, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data collected was analysed using SPSS version 26, and results were presented in the form of frequency and percentages. Results: Out of the 310 respondents, 56.8% had never heard about the HPV, while 43.2% had heard about the HPV and its vaccines. The majority (82.9%) of the respondents were uncertain about the two HPV vaccines available in South Africa, while only 1.9% of the respondents knew that anal cancer is one of the health problems related to HPV. The results of the study further showed that 56.8% of the respondents did not know whether the HPV vaccines prevented cervical cancer or not, while only 6.1% disagreed that the HPV vaccines prevented cervical cancer. Conclusion: The study concludes that the female students at the selected university had insufficient knowledge regarding HPV and its vaccines. Since cervical cancer is one of the major causes of death in low and middle-income countries, knowledge regarding HPV and its vaccines is crucial, especially among the young generation, in order to promote the effective prevention of cervical cancer. Community and university radios should have programs about health promotion issues informing the communities about HPV and its vaccines.
Highlights
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that spreads through genital contact [1]
The majority, i.e. , 272 (87.7%) of respondents, were between the age of 18-26 years; 173 (64%) from that age group reported that they were aware about HPV and its vaccines, and this might be because most of the respondents between the ages of 18-26 years have received the HPV vaccines at the age of 9-13 years at their primary school level
The results of this study revealed that 56.8% of the respondents had never heard about the HPV either from school, media, or health care workers, which meant that they did not know about HPV and its prevention
Summary
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that spreads through genital contact [1]. The findings of a study that was conducted on female nursing students in Switzerland revealed that the majority of students at non-health-related schools did not know about HPV and its vaccines [3]. A study conducted in Nigeria revealed that the majority of students knew about HPV and its vaccines, as well as the related infections, but they only heard about it from school [4]. A few students (29%) knew that HPV caused cervical cancer and that there are vaccines that protect one from the virus. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of female students regarding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and its vaccines at a selected University in the Limpopo Province, South Africa The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the viruses that causes high mortality rates worldwide, and if not detected and treated early, it may lead to fatal complications such as cervical cancer and breast cancer.
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