Attitudes of female college students aged 18 to 26 toward HPV vaccine : A descriptive literature review

Abstract: Background: There were many ways to prevent cervical cancer, and vaccination was one of the effective prevention methods. The CENTERS for Disease Control in the United States recommended that girls should be vaccinated before sex, but low vaccination rates for children maybe a result of some parents’ reluctance to give their children the vaccine due to a lack of knowledge. Female college students were a well-educated group, and their attitudes toward the vaccine reflect broader issues. However, there was only one article being published on attitudes toward the HPV vaccine among female college students in the United States.Aim: The aim was to describe female students’ attitudes toward human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.Methods: PubMed and CINAHL were used to find articles.Results: College female students’ attitudes toward HPV vaccine were affected by a variety of factors, including lack of knowledge, vaccine risk, vaccination experience and cost. Their attitudes were divided into three categories through comparison and summary: positive, indecisive and negative.Conclusions: Female college students’ attitudes toward HPV vaccines can be divided into three categories: positive, negative and indecisive. Positive attitudes were associated with participants’ knowledge and vaccination experience. Negative attitudes existed regarding the HPV vaccine due to a lack of knowledge and fear of potential vaccine side effects. The cost of the vaccine was a reason for their hesitation to accept the HPV vaccine.Keywords: attitude, female, HPV vaccine, school enrollment, university.