# Attitudes toward an HPV vaccine for condyloma acuminata and willingness to undergo vaccination among STD clinic attendees in China: Focus on STI prevention with HPV vaccine

## TL;DR

This study explores attitudes and willingness toward HPV vaccination for condyloma acuminata among STD clinic attendees in China, finding high acceptance and the importance of knowledge in reducing vaccine hesitancy.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into HPV vaccine acceptance for CA in China, highlighting factors like awareness and knowledge that influence willingness to vaccinate.

## Key findings

- 85.8% of participants accepted the HPV vaccine for CA, with higher acceptance among those who had heard of CA.
- Participants who knew about HPV-CA connections and vaccines had better attitudes toward the vaccine.
- Over half of participants expected the vaccine price to be under $90.

## Abstract

Condyloma acuminata (CA) is a common, and recurrent sexually transmitted disease (STD) that greatly contributes to direct health care costs and has a substantial psychosocial impact. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination (containing L1 protein for HPV types 6 and 11) effectively controls CA.

We investigated attitudes toward the HPV vaccine for CA and willingness to undergo vaccination among STD clinic attendees in China.

Attendees at STD clinics at two selected hospitals in Guangdong and Jiangsu Provinces from May to September 2017 were requested to complete a self-administered questionnaire for this cross-sectional study.

The participants’ median age was 28 years (IQR: 24.0–34.0), and the sex ratio was balanced; 63.5% were from Guangdong, 36.5% were from Jiangsu, and 44.5% had a history of CA. The vaccine acceptance rate was high among the participants (85.8%,235/274) to whom the HPV vaccine for CA was available, especially among those who had heard of CA (89.0%, AOR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.29–7.63, p = 0.0114). 95 (34.7%) of 274 participants had a positive attitude toward the HPV vaccine for CA. STD clinic attendees who had heard of the connection between HPV and CA (AOR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.31-5.00, p = 0.0060), had heard of the HPV vaccines or cervical cancer vaccines (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.02–3.54, p = 0.0444) and had ever proactively discussed CA or the vaccine with others (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI:1.00-3.79, p = 0.0488) had better attitudes toward the HPV vaccine for CA. Over half of the participants (52.5%) expected the price of the HPV vaccine for CA to be under $90.

The acceptance of the HPV vaccine for CA was high among STD clinic attendees in China, and the participants’ self-perceived knowledge of CA and HPV was associated with better attitudes toward the HPV vaccine for CA. Education to improve knowledge is vital for reducing vaccine hesitancy.