Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Increasing fear of adverse effects drops intention to vaccinate after the introduction of prophylactic HPV vaccine

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was (1) to explore for socio-demographic factors that could potentially affect the intention of women to vaccinate themselves, their 13-year-old daughter and their 13-year-old son against HPV, and (2) to investigate the main reasons for declining vaccination.

Methods

A structured questionnaire was used in participants of the project (N = 5,249). Logistic regression analysis was applied in order to examine the correlation between vaccine acceptability and a list of potential predictors. In women declining vaccination, the reported reasons for decline were analyzed.

Results

Residence in rural areas and low to medium tiers of family income were the most constant factors in favor of intention to vaccinate. Receiving information from a healthcare professional was found to positively affect vaccine acceptability for the woman herself, but it did not affect her intention to vaccinate her daughter or her son. The acceptance rates decreased significantly after the vaccine became available, both for the women themselves and for their daughters or sons. During the same year, a shift was noted in the reason for declining vaccination; the self-perception of insufficient knowledge significantly decreased and the fear of adverse effects significantly increased in all three cases.

Conclusion

Apart from demographic factors which may favor or disfavor vaccine acceptability, the intention to vaccinate decreased significantly and the proportion of women rejecting vaccination for safety concerns increased significantly after the introduction of the vaccine, coinciding with isolated cases of negative publicity and highlighting the potential of misinformation by the media.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Quinn M, Babb P, Jones J, Allen E (1999) Effect of screening on incidence of and mortality from cancer of cervix in England: evaluation based on routinely collected statistics. BMJ 318:904–908

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hakama M, Chamberlain J, Day NE, Miller AB, Prorok PC (1985) Evaluation of screening programmes for gynaecological cancer. Br J Cancer 52:669–673

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Arbyn M, Castellsague X, de Sanjose S, Bruni L, Saraiya M et al (2011) Worldwide burden of cervical cancer in 2008. Ann Oncol 22:2675–2686

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Walboomers JM, Jacobs MV, Manos MM, Bosch FX, Kummer JA et al (1999) Human papillomavirus is a necessary cause of invasive cervical cancer worldwide. J Pathol 189:12–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Villa LL, Costa RL, Petta CA, Andrade RP, Paavonen J et al (2006) High sustained efficacy of a prophylactic quadrivalent human papillomavirus types 6/11/16/18 L1 virus-like particle vaccine through 5 years of follow-up. Br J Cancer 95:1459–1466

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ault KA (2007) Effect of prophylactic human papillomavirus L1 virus-like-particle vaccine on risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2, grade 3, and adenocarcinoma in situ: a combined analysis of four randomised clinical trials. Lancet 369:1861–1868

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Watson M, Shaw D, Molchanoff L, McInnes C (2009) Challenges, lessons learned and results following the implementation of a human papilloma virus school vaccination program in South Australia. Aust N Z J Public Health 33:365–370

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Berry-Caban CS, Buenaventura JB (2009) HPV vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 9 to 17 years in a United States military treatment facility. Int J Adolesc Med Health 21:567–570

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Rouzier R, Giordanella JP (2010) Coverage and compliance of Human Papilloma Virus vaccines in Paris: demonstration of low compliance with non-school-based approaches. J Adolesc Health 47:237–241

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Dempsey AF, Zimet GD, Davis RL, Koutsky L (2006) Factors that are associated with parental acceptance of human papillomavirus vaccines: a randomized intervention study of written information about HPV. Pediatrics 117:1486–1493

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Muñoz N, Manalastas R Jr, Pitisuttithum P, Tresukosol D et al (2009) Safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine in women aged 24–45 years: a randomised, double-blind trial. Lancet 373:1949–1957

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Jain N, Euler GL, Shefer A, Lu P, Yankey D et al (2009) Human papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and vaccination initiation among women in the United States, National Immunization Survey-Adult 2007. Prev Med 48:426–431

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Chao C, Velicer C, Slezak JM, Jacobsen SJ (2010) Correlates for human papillomavirus vaccination of adolescent girls and young women in a managed care organization. Am J Epidemiol 171:357–367

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Pruitt SL, Schootman M (2010) Geographic disparity, area poverty, and human papillomavirus vaccination. Am J Prev Med 38:525–533

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kwon Y, Cho HY, Lee YK, Bae GR, Lee SG (2010) Relationship between intention of novel influenza A (H1N1) vaccination and vaccination coverage rate. Vaccine 29:161–165

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. (No authors listed) (2010) Interim results: state-specific influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccination coverage—United States, October 2009–January 2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 59:363–368

  17. Constantine NA, Jerman P (2007) Acceptance of human papillomavirus vaccination among Californian parents of daughters: a representative statewide analysis. J Adolesc Health 40:108–115

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. (No authors listed) (2009) Intent to receive influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent and seasonal influenza vaccines—two counties, North Carolina, August 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 58:1401–1405

    Google Scholar 

  19. Eastwood K, Durrheim DN, Jones A, Butler M (2010) Acceptance of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza vaccination by the Australian public. Med J Aust 192:33–36

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hoover DR, Carfioli B, Moench EA (2000) Attitudes of adolescent/young adult women toward human papillomavirus vaccination and clinical trials. Health Care Women Int 21:375–391

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Boehner CW, Howe SR, Bernstein DI, Rosenthal SL (2003) Viral sexually transmitted disease vaccine acceptability among college students. Sex Transm Dis 30:774–778

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kahn JA, Rosenthal SL, Hamann T, Bernstein DI (2003) Attitudes about human papillomavirus vaccine in young women. Int J STD AIDS 14:300–306

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Slomovitz BM, Sun CC, Frumovitz M, Soliman PT, Schmeler KM et al (2006) Are women ready for the HPV vaccine? Gynecol Oncol 103:151–154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Cook RL, Zhang J, Mullins J, Kauf T, Brumback B et al (2010) Factors associated with initiation and completion of human papillomavirus vaccine series among young women enrolled in Medicaid. J Adolesc Health 47:596–599

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Cui Y, Baldwin SB, Wiley DJ, Fielding JE (2010) Human papillomavirus vaccine among adult women: disparities in awareness and acceptance. Am J Prev Med 39:559–563

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Gamble HL, Klosky JL, Parra GR, Randolph ME (2010) Factors influencing familial decision-making regarding human papillomavirus vaccination. J Pediatr Psychol 35:704–715

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Kang HS, Moneyham L (2011) Attitudes, intentions, and perceived barriers to human papillomavirus vaccination among Korean high school girls and their mothers. Cancer Nurs 34:202–208

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Sundstrom K, Tran TN, Lundholm C, Young C, Sparen P et al (2010) Acceptability of HPV vaccination among young adults aged 18–30 years—a population based survey in Sweden. Vaccine 28:7492–7500

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Zimet GD, Weiss TW, Rosenthal SL, Good MB, Vichnin MD (2010) Reasons for non-vaccination against HPV and future vaccination intentions among 19–26 year-old women. BMC Womens Health 10:27

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Dempsey A, Cohn L, Dalton V, Ruffin M (2011) Worsening disparities in HPV vaccine utilization among 19–26 year old women. Vaccine 29:528–534

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Lower J (2008) Two unclear cases of death. Can we still recommend HPV vaccination? MMW Fortschr Med 150:6

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Coombes R (2009) Cervarix: definitely not the new MMR. BMJ 339:b4124

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Bakogianni GD, Nikolakopoulos KM, Nikolakopoulou NM (2010) HPV vaccine acceptance among female Greek students. Int J Adolesc Med Health 22:271–273

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Agorastos T, Chatzigeorgiou K, Brotherton JM, Garland SM (2009) Safety of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines: a review of the international experience so far. Vaccine 27:7270–7281

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Pomfret TC, Gagnon JM Jr, Gilchrist AT (2011) Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: a review of safety, efficacy, and pharmacoeconomics. J Clin Pharm Ther 36:1–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Conroy K, Rosenthal SL, Zimet GD, Jin Y, Bernstein DI et al (2009) Human papillomavirus vaccine uptake, predictors of vaccination, and self-reported barriers to vaccination. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 18:1679–1686

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Bernard DM, Cooper Robbins SC, McCaffery KJ, Scott CM, Skinner SR (2011) The domino effect: adolescent girls’ response to human papillomavirus vaccination. Med J Aust 194:297–300

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Hilton S, Hunt K, Langan M, Bedford H, Petticrew M (2010) Newsprint media representations of the introduction of the HPV vaccination programme for cervical cancer prevention in the UK (2005–2008). Soc Sci Med 70:942–950

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Habel MA, Liddon N, Stryker JE (2009) The HPV vaccine: a content analysis of online news stories. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 18:401–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Keelan J, Pavri V, Balakrishnan R, Wilson K (2010) An analysis of the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine debate on MySpace blogs. Vaccine 28:1535–1540

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

No actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this article exists.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fourth Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ippokration General Hospital, 49 Constantinoupoleos Street, 546 42, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Alexandros Sotiriadis, Themistoklis Dagklis, Vaia Siamanta, Konstantinos Chatzigeorgiou & Theodoros Agorastos

Authors
  1. Alexandros Sotiriadis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Themistoklis Dagklis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vaia Siamanta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Konstantinos Chatzigeorgiou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Theodoros Agorastos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Consortia

The LYSISTRATA Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Theodoros Agorastos.

Additional information

The members of the LYSISTRATA Study Group are listed in “Appendix”.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 40 kb)

Appendix

Appendix

The LYSITRATA Study Group: T. Agorastos, D. Athanatos, E. Bili, K. Chatzigeorgiou, T. Constantinides, T. Dagklis, K. Dampala, D. Goulis, D. Karagkouni, D. Kyrou, A. Lambropoulos, T. Mikos, E. Salonikidou, V. Siamanta, A. Sotiriadis, A. Tantsis, E. Togaridou, I. Tympanidis, D. Vavilis, M. Zafrakas.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sotiriadis, A., Dagklis, T., Siamanta, V. et al. Increasing fear of adverse effects drops intention to vaccinate after the introduction of prophylactic HPV vaccine. Arch Gynecol Obstet 285, 1719–1724 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-011-2208-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-011-2208-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation