Darina N. Ruschukova

Attitudes and awareness related to cervical cancer vaccine

Introduction: Cervical cancer causes major morbidity and mortality around the world. This makes prophylactic vaccines a significant tool for preventing the disease. As these vaccines become more widely available, they have the potential to drastically lower the cancer’s prevalence and burden in the future. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes toward awareness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Materials and methods: A pilot, cross-sectional, medicosocial survey was conducted using a structured, anonymous online questionnaire, including self-assessment questions on awareness and attitudes towards HPV vaccination. Sixty-four adult female parents of female children participated in the study between June and August 2023. The design and conduct of the study was done with the personal involvement of the researchers. SPSS v. 23.0 was used to analyze the primary statistical information. The results obtained were presented graphically using MS Excel 2010. Results: We found significantly good awareness and negative attitude towards vaccination as prevention against HPV. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that respondents had a relatively good awareness of cervical cancer, the risk factors associated with the disease, and the virus that causes it. There was a correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and awareness of the study population. The respondents had a certain distrust of the vaccine. The dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that vaccination was not a substitute for routine cervical screening, was not 100% effective, and did not provide protection against any type of papilloma virus or against pre-existing HPV infections. The low vaccination coverage in Bulgaria leads the authors to believe that our country urgently needs new strategies and approaches in the fight against cervical cancer, through continuous training of medical personnel, inclusion of immunization programs in school health care, and improved health education and awareness of HPV vaccination among adolescent girls and their parents.