• Susanne Blödt, Christine Holmberg, Jacqueline Müller-Nordhorn, and Nina Rieckmann.
• Berlin School of Public Health, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
• Eur J Public Health. 2012 Dec 1; 22 (6): 808-13.

BackgroundHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection and is aetiologically linked with a number of health problems. In Germany, HPV vaccination for cervical cancer prevention is recommended for girls aged 12-17 years since 2007; however, a coordinated national immunization programme does not exist. We assessed whether socio-demographic factors and sexual history are associated with awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine, vaccine uptake and HPV-related knowledge among young women and men.MethodsIn 2010, a survey was conducted with 18- to 25-year-old students from six vocational schools in Berlin. A total of 259 women and 245 men completed the questionnaire that included socio-demographic and sexual behaviour characteristics, questions about HPV awareness, vaccine status, reasons for not wanting to get vaccinated and HPV-related knowledge.ResultsAmong women aged 18-20 years (those eligible for reimbursed vaccination), 67% were vaccinated. At trend level, women with low education and those without past sexual intercourse were less likely to be vaccinated. Ninety-five per cent of the women and 80% of the men were aware of the 'vaccine against cervical cancer', but only half of the women and 25% of the men had heard of HPV. Knowledge was poor (M = 2.8; SD = 2.10 for women and M = 1.5; SD = 1.49 for men; possible range 0-11). Fifty-one per cent of the women and 42% of the men thought that only women can be infected with HPV and the majority did not know that HPV is sexually transmitted.ConclusionResults indicate a need for better education about HPV that should extend beyond its link with cervical cancer.

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