A National Survey of Canadian Adults on HPV: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers to the HPV Vaccine.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination motivators and barriers among adults could lead to new approaches to improve HPV vaccination rates in non-pediatric populations. This Canadian survey aimed to assess current knowledge of, attitudes towards, and barriers to the HPV vaccine among the general public. METHODS: An online panel was used to survey HPV unvaccinated women (n = 802) and vaccinated women (n = 250) 18 to 45 years old, as well as 18- to 26-year-old men (n = 200), in May and June 2016. A 16-item questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic factors, health-seeking behaviours, knowledge of HPV infection and its consequences, and the HPV vaccine. Data were stratified by sex and by vaccination status among women. RESULTS: The majority of individuals somewhat or strongly agreed that vaccination is an important aspect of disease prevention (vaccinated women, 93%; unvaccinated women, 85%; and men, 59%). However, a high proportion of patients were concerned about vaccine safety (vaccinated women, 26%; unvaccinated women, 40%; and men, 36%). Moreover, 58% to 61% of participants were generally cautious about taking any vaccine. The number one reported barrier to vaccination was not having a recommendation from a doctor (38%). Cost was seen as a barrier by only 18% to 20% of participants. CONCLUSION: Canadian participants show a broad diversity in HPV knowledge and regarding barriers to vaccination. The youngest populations (vaccinated women and men) showed higher levels of knowledge regarding HPV.