Awareness of human papilloma virus and its association with cervical cancer among female university students: A study from united arab emirates

Cervical cancer is the neoplasm of the uterine cervix in women, which is highly preventable. With the advent of vaccination against HPV infection, a gradual decline in the incidence of cervical cancer cases has been observed in developing countries. The developing nations bear the brunt of cervical cancer incidence due to low acceptance of vaccination. This survey-based study was designed to assess the awareness and opinions of female university students regarding human papilloma virus, vaccination and cervical cancer. A survey questionnaire was distributed among female expatriate students (18 to 26 years of age) of a private university. The survey sought information on socio-demographic characteristics, family and personal health history, knowledge of cervical cancer, its association with HPV, preventive care and their opinions on vaccination. GraphPad was used for statistical calculations. Of the 269 respondents, only 6% had attended awareness programs and 11% reported having read any information leaflet. 78% of the respondents did not know how HPV infection occurs and less than 40% of the participants believed that cervical cancer is preventable. 75% of the respondents had not heard about the PAP smear test. 20% of the participants stated that they were uninterested in taking the vaccination and only 5% of the survey respondents had received vaccination. Majority of the respondents (78%) demonstrated positive attitude towards practices related to influence of nutrition in having a disease-free life. The present study indicates low levels of awareness regarding HPV and its role in cervical cancer among female university-going students. It was found that the awareness of HPV, their role in cervical cancer development and the availability of information regarding vaccination was very low. The authors recommend that educational institutions and government health authorities must offer a well-designed comprehensive awareness cum vaccination camp in order to educate young women about HPV infection and risk of developing cervical cancer. This will help ensure future economic and health benefits for all.