%0 Journal Article
%T Multicenter Study of Human Papillomavirus and the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Knowledge and Attitudes among People of African Descent
%A Elizabeth Blackman
%A Natalie Thurman
%A Darron Halliday
%A Raleigh Butler
%A Dorita Francis
%A Madeline Joseph
%A Jahzreel Thompson
%A Aletha Akers
%A Cecile Andraos-Selim
%A Cornelius Bondzi
%A Emanuela Taioli
%A Kourtney L. Hagan
%A Erin A. Jones
%A Jade Jones
%A Cierra M. Moss
%A ArĄŻLena C. Smith
%A Kimlin Tam Ashing
%A Camille C. Ragin
%J Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/428582
%X Objective. To compare knowledge and attitudes of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the vaccine between different cultures of African descent. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of 555 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans residing in the US and the Bahamas (BHM) was conducted. Results. General knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine differed between the two countries significantly. Bahamian respondents were less likely to have higher numbers of correct knowledge answers when compared to Americans (Adjusted Odds Ratio [Adj. OR] 0.47, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.30¨C0.75). Older age, regardless of location, was also associated with answering fewer questions correctly (Adj. OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40¨C0.92). Attitudes related to HPV vaccination were similar between the US and BHM, but nearly 80% of BHM respondents felt that children should not be able to receive the vaccine without parental consent compared to 57% of American respondents. Conclusions. Grave lack of knowledge, safety and cost concerns, and influence of parental restrictions may negatively impact vaccine uptake among African-American and Afro-Caribbean persons. Interventions to increase the vaccine uptake in the Caribbean must include medical provider and parental involvement. Effective strategies for education and increasing vaccine uptake in BHM are crucial for decreasing cervical cancer burden in the Caribbean. 1. Introduction Cervical cancer (CC) is listed among the top five cancers that affect women globally. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in 2008 there were 530,000 new cases of cervical cancer worldwide, with 85% of the disease burden occurring in developing countries. Caribbean women are at an increased risk of dying from CC, which is the second most frequent cancer among women and also ranks as the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in both sexes [1]. In the United States (US), CC has decreased in incidence and mortality since the mid 19th century, primarily because of screening [2]. Even with the introduction and widespread use of the Pap test, CC still ranks among the top ten cancers diagnosed in the US among minority populations, which includes Blacks, American Indians, and Hispanics [3]. Persistent high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, specifically HPV types 16 and 18, has been linked to the development of CC, anogenital cancers, and oropharyngeal cancers [4, 5]. In 2006, the FDA approved the HPV vaccine Gardasil (against HR HPV types 16 and 18 as well as low-risk types 6 and 11) for all females aged 9 through 26. In 2009, the FDA
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/idog/2013/428582/