Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine acceptability among gay adolescent males

Rates of HPV infection are among the highest in gay males, with estimates over 70%. Males ages 9 to 26 are eligible to be vaccinated against HPV. It is important that gay adolescent males are aware of and receptive to vaccination, as they can benefit greatly from it. Gay adolescent males, ages 13-18, were recruited from community settings to complete a baseline survey and attend one of three focus groups. Goals were to assess knowledge and awareness of HPV, as well as and attitudes and intentions toward vaccination. Quantitative analysis consisted primarily of frequency distributions of survey items, while qualitative analysis consisted of iterative rounds of open-coding for thematic trends and concepts in the focus group transcripts. 23 adolescents (74% African American; 21% Hispanic; mean age 17 years; 96% sexually active) participated. From the survey, 83% had heard of HPV and 61% had heard of the vaccine. Only 30% knew that HPV was the most common STI and only 35% knew that it was the primary cause of anogenital warts. During the focus groups, adolescents believed that HPV prevention was important, as risky sexual activity was prevalent among their peers. Chief concerns about the vaccine included side effects, safety, and efficacy. 45% of the teens were undecided about vaccination, 20% were in favor of vaccination, and 35% were against vaccination. Awareness of HPV and the vaccine were high among gay adolescent males. Yet, barriers to vaccination exist and intentions to vaccinate were suboptimal given the amount of reported sexual activity.