How do Women Find Out About HPV?: Results from a Diverse Sample

Sources of health related information can influence the public's attitudes and acceptance of the information. Women's attitudes and knowledge about Human papillomavirus (HPV) may vary depending on how they received the information, which can then impact prevention or treatment behaviors. We examined the sources of HPV information reported by a racial/ethnically diverse sample of women (N = 2,068) aged 18 to 27 from the California Health Information Survey (CHIS; 2007). We looked at which sources women had first heard about HPV, and whether those sources of information varied by race/ethnicity. Approximately 82% (n = 1,691) had heard of HPV. The survey question pertaining to sources of information asked, “Where have you heard about HPV?”. Overall, the most common first responses were media (35.2%) and health care providers (HCP; 33.6%). Chi-squares revealed that first responses of sources of HPV information varied across race/ethnicity. White women's first responses were most frequently HCPs and family/friends. For Asian Americans, frequently reported sources were media, then school and HCPs (equally prevalent). The most frequent sources reported by African Americans were media, then HCPs. For Latinas, HCPs and the media were equally reported sources, followed by school. An interesting finding was the lack of racial/ethnic minority women reporting friends/family as a source of HPV information. The results will also include discussion of the relationship between sources of information and women's HPV knowledge. These findings can inform where culturally appropriate campaigns should focus their resources to improve knowledge and attitudes about HPV and the vaccine.