Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus associated with several cancers. Although vaccination is effective in preventing HPV-related diseases in both sexes, vaccine hesitancy remains a major issue in Japan. We aimed to examine the relationships among HPV vaccination knowledge, acceptability, hesitancy, and actual vaccination and to assess whether providing brief information could influence behavioral stages of HPV vaccination. A total of 286 university students participated in a survey based on the transtheoretical model of behavior change. Participants reported HPV vaccination behavior and readiness before and after receiving brief information about HPV infection and vaccination. The proportion of vaccinated students was low, with 8.4% of women and no men having received the vaccine. Among women, nine knowledge and acceptability factors were positively associated with higher vaccination, while concerns about side effects were negatively associated with it. Providing brief information reduced the proportion of students in the precontemplation stage (56.6% to 30.8%) and increased those in the contemplation stage (43.4% to 69.2%). These findings suggest that HPV vaccination is closely related to knowledge and acceptability, and even brief information provision may facilitate positive shifts in behavioral readiness for vaccination.
Yamatsu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.