Knowledge, Perceptions and Misconceptions Regarding HPV Vaccination among Adolescent Girls in Pakistan
Abstract
Objective: To assess the knowledge, perceptions and misconceptions regarding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV vaccination among adolescent girls in Pakistan.Methods
This was a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted over a defined study period in schools and community settings. Adolescents falling within the recommended age range for HPV vaccination were included. Data regarding demographic profile, awareness of HPV, knowledge of its association with cervical cancer, understanding of HPV vaccination, and perceived barriers to vaccination was collected and analyzed.Results
A total of 633 respondents participated in the survey. The most common age was 13 years and overall awareness regarding HPV was 57%. Among the participants, 628 (99%) were females and 5 (1%) were males. Four hundred and ten (65%) participants had secondary education, 118 (19%) had no formal education, 64 (10%) had primary education and 41 (6%) had higher education. Overall, 432 (68%) participants linked HPV with cervical cancer, 505 (80%) knew that HPV vaccination is recommended for prevention of cervical cancer, and 439 (69%) knew that the vaccine prevents cervical cancer. The most common barriers to vaccination were myths and misconceptions 195 (31%), cultural concerns 192 (30%), lack of awareness 149 (24%), access issues 90 (14%) and cost 74 (12%).Conclusion
Awareness regarding HPV and HPV vaccination among adolescent girls in Pakistan was moderate, with myths, misconceptions and cultural concerns being the major barriers to vaccination. Since the participants belonged to the adolescent age group, early educational intervention is crucial. Targeted school-based awareness programs may help reduce misconceptions, improve knowledge, and increase HPV vaccination acceptance in Pakistan.Keywords:
Human Papillomavirus, HPV vaccination, cervical cancer, adolescent girls, awareness, misconceptions, Pakistan.Published
2026/08/21
Issue
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International License 
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