HPV Awareness and Vaccine Acceptance in the UK

Abstract

Cervical cancer has evoked concern in the healthcare sector worldwide. Efforts to eradicate the disease have pointed to human papillomavirus (HPV) as a significant cause of cervical cancer, with an estimated 70% of cases of the disease being caused by HPV. HPV prevention and control efforts result in a decrease in the number of pre-cancerous cells in the cervixes of teenage girls and women. Informed by the positive effects of the HPV vaccine in alleviating the disease, a national school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme targeting girls mainly 12 to 13 years of age was launched in 2008 in the UK. Since September 2019, boys have been included in the vaccination programme owing to the success of the vaccination in girls. The efficacy of vaccination programs has been shown to depend on attitude, which is affected by the awareness and education level of the population. Accordingly, in this narrative review, an evaluation of the factors that affect the efficacy of this school-based vaccination programme is conducted. HPV vaccine uptake was noted to be significantly lower in minority groups, with moral, social, and cultural concerns being noted as reasons. This paper identifies the target populations for sensitisation efforts regarding the vaccine; moreover, the role of the media in influencing attitudes towards the HPV vaccine is also evaluated. Healthcare providers have been shown to be significant influencers of HPV awareness and vaccine acceptance. The acceptance of vaccine doses by girls is evaluated in this paper by reviewing studies related to HPV awareness and vaccination. The paper also discusses the efforts and initiatives currently in place to sponsor HPV awareness and integration furtherance. A review of outcomes and limitations conducted, and recommendations are offered that are aimed at improving the current state of HPV awareness and integration.