Researchers have found that an education program can increase knowledge of human papillomavirus infection in college men leading to higher vaccination rates.
The study, published today in The Nurse Practitioner, revealed that male college athletes have low rates of HPV vaccination and relatively little knowledge of their high rates of risk factors for infection, such as multiple sexual partners, unprotected sex and being young at sexual initiation.
The findings are of particular importance since a study published last week found that 1 in 9 males age 18 to 69 in the United States are infected with oral HPV, which can cause cancers of the head, neck and throat.
“The incidence of this cancer has increased 300 percent in the last 20 years,” Ashish Deshmukh, a research assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, said in a UPI article Oct. 16.
There is no cure currently for HPV but the HPV vaccines are effective at preventing initial infection of the disease. Preteen boys and girls are encouraged to get the series of vaccines before becoming sexually active and doctors say it is still effective for young adults who did not receive the vaccine as an adolescent.
However, in the current study of 114 male college athletes, found that more than two-thirds had not had the HPV vaccine.
Researchers developed a program to educate college students on the risks of HPV and the benefits of getting the HPV vaccine. Of the study participants, 77 were football players and 37 were baseball players who attended an educational session on HPV and were questioned before and after the session to assess changes in opinions about HPV and the vaccine.
The study found that immediately after participating in the educational session, the men had significant increases in their knowledge of HPV, but in a three-month follow-up survey, only 12 percent of the unvaccinated men reported getting the HPV vaccine.
“The ability to provide HPV education to high-risk populations will further empower individuals to make informed decisions regarding high-risk behaviors, increase HPV vaccination rates, and decrease HPV infection rates,” the authors stated.