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Attitudes and behaviors of obstetricians and gynecologists toward HPV vaccination: a 7-year follow-up survey in Japan

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International Journal of Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

In Japan, the government suspended HPV vaccine recommendation in 2013, resulting in dropping vaccination uptake to almost zero. We conducted four serial surveys on our colleague’ attitude to HPV vaccination between 2014 and 2021. Here, we evaluate the result of the survey in 2021 and compare it to previous surveys.

Methods

The subjects were 567 obstetricians and gynecologists who had been trained in our university hospital or our affiliated hospitals. We used a questionnaire similar in format to those used in 2014, 2017, and 2019.

Results

A total of 340 doctors (60.0%) completed the survey. Among them, 93.2% (317/340) of respondents thought that the government should restart HPV vaccination recommendation, and that 63.2% (215/340) think male teenagers should also vaccinate against HPV. The percentage of teenaged daughters inoculated with HPV vaccination after Japanese government had suspended its recommendation was 43.5% (20/46), an increasing trend from the previous surveys. 39 out of the 46 daughters (84.8%) would be expected to receive full HPV vaccination after they take junior high school entrance examination or after 9-valent HPV vaccination is designated as a national routine-immunization.

Conclusion

This study revealed increasing number of our colleagues think HPV vaccination is necessary for prevention of cervical cancer. The Japanese government’s decision to resume its recommendation of the HPV vaccine in November 2021 will lead to a change in the public’s thinking and behavior toward the HPV vaccine.

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Abbreviations

HPV:

Human papillomavirus

CDC:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHO:

World Health Organization

FY:

Fiscal year

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr. GS Buzard for his constructive critique and editing of our manuscript. We deeply appreciate the support of Kanako Sakiyama, and Hazuki Abe.

Funding

A Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant (20EA1025) from the MHLW supported this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Emiko Oka, Yutaka Ueda, Yoshikazu Nagase, Asami Yagi, Mamoru Kakuda, Satoshi Nakagawa, Kosuke Hiramatsu, Ai Miyoshi, Eiji Kobayashi, Toshihiro Kimura & Tadashi Kimura

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka General Medical Center, 3-1-56, Bandaihigashi, Sumiyoshiku, Osaka, Osaka, 558-8558, Japan

    Masaaki Sawada

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kansai Rosai Hospital, 3-1-69, Inabasou, Amagasaki, Hyogo, 660-8511, Japan

    Tomomi Egawa-Takata

Authors
  1. Emiko Oka
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  2. Yutaka Ueda
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  3. Yoshikazu Nagase
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yutaka Ueda.

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Conflict of interest

YU and AY have received a lecture fee, and YU received a research grant [J550703673] from Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD). TK received a research fund [VT#55166] from MSD.

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Oka, E., Ueda, Y., Nagase, Y. et al. Attitudes and behaviors of obstetricians and gynecologists toward HPV vaccination: a 7-year follow-up survey in Japan. Int J Clin Oncol 27, 1356–1363 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-022-02173-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-022-02173-1

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