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Background <p>HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer, yet uptake remains variable, particularly where it is not publicly funded. We assessed HPV knowledge, attitudes, and vaccination behavior — including stated intention, actual uptake, and reasons for non-vaccination — among women attending a gynecology clinic in Istanbul, Turkey.</p> Methods <p>This cross-sectional study enrolled 305 women aged ≥ 18 years at the gynecology clinic of Yeditepe University Hospital between January and April 2026. A structured questionnaire assessed sociodemographics, HPV and vaccine knowledge (scored 0–10 and 0–6), attitudes (seven 5-point Likert items), and vaccination history. Acceptance was defined as agreement with willingness to vaccinate; uptake as self-reported prior vaccination. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors independently associated with each outcome.</p> Results <p>Mean age was 38.1 ± 10.6 years; 68.5% had university education and 17.4% were healthcare workers. Mean HPV knowledge score was 7.25 ± 1.65, with notable gaps: 36.7% knew HPV is not exclusive to women, 57.4% knew condoms do not fully prevent transmission, and 60.0% understood infection is often asymptomatic. While 86.6% intended to vaccinate, actual uptake was 38.7% — an intention–uptake gap of 47.9% points. Cost was the most cited reason among unvaccinated women (71.0%). Education, knowledge, and preventive gynecological care were not independently associated with uptake; healthcare-worker status was the only independent predictor (aOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.07–3.80; <i>p</i> = 0.030).</p> Conclusion <p>HPV vaccine acceptance was high but uptake was substantially lower, with cost the most frequent barrier. These findings highlight the intention–uptake gap and specific knowledge deficits relevant for future research.</p>

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High intention, low uptake: HPV vaccination knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among women attending a tertiary gynecology clinic in Turkey

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月24日

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  • Esra Öncü,
  • Zeynep Ece Utkan Korun,
  • Melis Gökçe Koçer Yazıcı,
  • Mert Yeşiladalı,
  • Rukset Attar,
  • Necip Erkut Attar

摘要

Background

HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer, yet uptake remains variable, particularly where it is not publicly funded. We assessed HPV knowledge, attitudes, and vaccination behavior — including stated intention, actual uptake, and reasons for non-vaccination — among women attending a gynecology clinic in Istanbul, Turkey.

Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled 305 women aged ≥ 18 years at the gynecology clinic of Yeditepe University Hospital between January and April 2026. A structured questionnaire assessed sociodemographics, HPV and vaccine knowledge (scored 0–10 and 0–6), attitudes (seven 5-point Likert items), and vaccination history. Acceptance was defined as agreement with willingness to vaccinate; uptake as self-reported prior vaccination. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors independently associated with each outcome.

Results

Mean age was 38.1 ± 10.6 years; 68.5% had university education and 17.4% were healthcare workers. Mean HPV knowledge score was 7.25 ± 1.65, with notable gaps: 36.7% knew HPV is not exclusive to women, 57.4% knew condoms do not fully prevent transmission, and 60.0% understood infection is often asymptomatic. While 86.6% intended to vaccinate, actual uptake was 38.7% — an intention–uptake gap of 47.9% points. Cost was the most cited reason among unvaccinated women (71.0%). Education, knowledge, and preventive gynecological care were not independently associated with uptake; healthcare-worker status was the only independent predictor (aOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.07–3.80; p = 0.030).

Conclusion

HPV vaccine acceptance was high but uptake was substantially lower, with cost the most frequent barrier. These findings highlight the intention–uptake gap and specific knowledge deficits relevant for future research.