HPV vaccine acceptability in heterosexual, gay, and bisexual men

Background. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may soon be approved for use in males in the US, but we know little about men's beliefs about the vaccine and their willingness to receive it. To our knowledge, no published studies have investigated differences in HPV vaccine beliefs and acceptability by sexual orientation.

Methods. We recruited 296 heterosexual men and 312 gay/bisexual men from a national panel of US households to complete an online survey about HPV and HPV vaccine. We analyzed data using logistic regression, controlling for age, education, number of lifetime sexual partners, and urban residence.

Results. More gay and bisexual men than heterosexual men were willing to receive HPV vaccine (73% vs. 37%; adjusted odds ratio, 4.99; 95% confidence interval, 3.36, 7.49). Gay and bisexual men reported greater awareness of the vaccine, perceived worry about HPV-related diseases, perceived effectiveness of HPV vaccine, and anticipated regret if they declined vaccination and later developed HPV-related disease compared to heterosexual men (all p<.05). Despite generally positive opinions of HPV vaccine, less than one-quarter of men who had heard of HPV vaccine prior to the survey (60/314, 19%) believed it works in males.

Conclusions. Acceptability of HPV vaccine among gay and bisexual men was high, similar to previous studies among adult women and parents. The markedly lower acceptability and different beliefs among heterosexual men suggest that novel interventions for this group may be needed if vaccinating men against HPV is recommended.