Exploration of Attitudes Toward HPV Vaccination Among Hispanic College Students

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, with an estimated 79 million Americans currently infected with HPV (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). HPV is associated with the development of several cancers, including cervical, oropharyngeal, and others (de Martel et. al., 2017). The Hispanic population is disproportionately affected by negative health consequences attributable to HPV. Hispanic women are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 30% more likely to die from the disease than non-Hispanic White women (American Cancer Society, 2021). Despite these statistics, only 53.7% of Hispanic adolescents have completed the HPV vaccination series (CDC, 2021a). It is unclear why HPV vaccination rates in the Hispanic population fall short of the target rate. To address this question, we conducted a survey of undergraduate students at Baylor University to identify reasons for hesitancy toward the HPV vaccine in the Hispanic student population. The results of this study have implications for future promotion of the HPV vaccine in the Hispanic population