Predictors of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men
BACKGROUND:
Human
papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that causes
anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers in men. Men who have sex with men (MSM)
are at particularly high risk for HPV infection and HPV-related disease. Human
papillomavirus vaccination is currently recommended for all MSM in the United
States through age 26 years, yet little is known about HPV vaccine uptake in
this population. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of HPV
vaccine uptake and barriers and facilitators to HPV vaccination that may be
unique to young MSM.
METHODS:
Men aged
18 to 26 years (n = 336) were recruited via advertisements placed on a
geospatial smartphone dating application designed for MSM. Participants
completed an online survey. Correlates of vaccine uptake and provider
recommendation for HPV vaccine were identified using logistic regression.
RESULTS:
In total,
21% of participants had received at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine. Provider
recommendation was the strongest predictor of uptake such that MSM with a
recommendation were more than 40 times more likely to have been vaccinated.
Additional predictors of uptake included age and HPV vaccine attitudes.
Predictors of provider recommendation included sexual identity, race/ethnicity,
condomless anal sex, and HIV status. Psychosocial correlates and barriers and
facilitators to HPV vaccination among unvaccinated men were also identified.
CONCLUSIONS:
Findings
highlight potential disparities in HPV vaccine uptake, as well as disparities
in provider recommendation practices for HPV vaccination. Future interventions
should aim to clarify misconceptions, modify psychosocial beliefs, and address
barriers and facilitators to HPV vaccine uptake specific to young MSM.
- 1From the *Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; and †Department of Psychology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
- Sex Transm Dis. 2016 Mar;43(3):185-91. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000408.
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