HPV knowledge and HPV vaccine acceptability among Hispanic mothers of 11-17 year old daughters living along the Texas-Mexico border

Cervical cancer incidence and mortality are higher for Hispanic women along the Texas-Mexico border than for other female population groups. The incidence could be reduced if teenaged Hispanic girls received the HPV vaccine before they become sexually active. However, few Hispanic girls compared to U.S. girls receive all three HPV vaccine doses (23.4% vs. 45.5%), which prevent cervical cancer. Entre Madre e Hija (EMH) is an outreach and education program utilizing promotoras and peer educators to deliver health education to mothers and daughters in Cameron and Hidalgo counties to increase HPV knowledge and promote HPV immunization.

Using baseline data from Hispanic mothers (n = 115), we report mothers' HPV knowledge and HPV vaccine acceptability. Results of mothers' HPV knowledge showed: 94.8% believed HPV is detected through a Pap test, 80% believed HPV is cured with antibiotics, 70.4% believed condoms protect a person from HPV, and 92% believed HPV affects a woman's ability to get pregnant. Results of mothers' HPV vaccine acceptability showed: 47.8% agreed the vaccine is safe, 13.9% agreed getting the vaccine encourages girls' to become sexually active, and 83.5% agreed they would vaccinate their daughter if their daughter's doctor recommended it.

Preliminary findings suggest knowledge gaps among mothers regarding how HPV is detected, cured, prevented, and its effects on the body. In addition, most mothers believed the vaccine to be safe and would vaccinate their daughter if a doctor recommended it. The EMH program addresses gaps in HPV knowledge and promotes the HPV vaccine in this population.