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Poster and E-Posters
09. Prevention of gynaecologic cancer
1227 Understanding the reasons for undervaccination against HPV in rural area in the central and Eastern Europe
  1. Joanna Kacperczyk-Bartnik1,
  2. Agata Golik2,
  3. Aleksandra Urban1,
  4. Pawel Bartnik1,
  5. Carlo Bienkowski3,4,
  6. Agnieszka Dobrowolska-Redo1 and
  7. Ewa Romejko-Wolniewicz1
  1. 1II Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
  2. 2Ophthalmology Department, Czerniakowki Hospital, Warsaw, Poland
  3. 3Department of Adults’ Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
  4. 4Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

Abstract

Introduction/Background Nationwide HPV vaccination programme funded by the state aimed at girls and boys aged 12–13 years old was implemented in Poland in June 2023. After the first six weeks the estimated HPV vaccination coverage in the target population was 7%. The aim of the study was to determine what types of beliefs and concerns are associated with HPV vaccines among population living in rural areas and searching for possibilities of increasing HPV vaccine coverage.

Methodology It was a cross-sectional survey study performed by means of paper questionnaires distributed to mothers, grandmothers and teachers during parents’ gathering in a primary school in a rural area in Holy Cross Province in Poland. The mean age of surveyed women was 38 (between 19–63 years old). Altogether 170 surveys were collected. Descriptive statistics was used for results analysis. The surveys were collected before introduction of nationwide HPV vaccination programme funded by the state.

Results Five percent of surveyed women vaccinated their children against HPV. Ten percent of respondents were recommended by a physician to vaccinate their child against HPV.

Eighty-three percent of surveyed women believed that vaccination is an effective protection against HPV caused diseases. Forty-three percent answered that HPV vaccine leads to sexual promiscuousness among adolescents. Ninety-six percent stated that HPV vaccine should be funded by the state and that in such condition – 86% would have vaccinated their daughter and 87% would have vaccinated their son.

Most common reported reasons for not vaccinating children against HPV were: no physician’s recommendation (58%), unawareness of such possibility (44%), and price (26%).

Conclusion Main barriers associated with low HPV vaccination rate were unawareness of such possibility and high price. After inclusion of HPV vaccinations in the recommended vaccine schedule funded by the state, further increase in HPV vaccine coverage could be achieved by educating parents and adolescents.

Disclosures Nothing to disclose.

https://doi.org/10.1136/ijgc-2024-ESGO.915

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