Introduction. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are very common, therefore HPV vaccines have the great potential to prevent the spread in millions of women and men worldwide. However, this is highly dependent on the vaccination rate. As future medical personnel, the knowledge of students from medical specialties is crucial for better awareness and prevention of HPV infections.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of Bulgarian medicine and pharmacy students regarding HPV infection and HPV vaccines.
Material and methods. An anonymous online survey, prepared using Google Forms, was conducted on 245 Bulgarian students from the Medical University of Plovdiv, in May 2023.
Results. Of the participants, 68 (27.8%) were males, 176 (71.8%) females, and one (0.4%) identified as other. Over half were medical students, 18.4% (n=45) dental and 23.7% (n=58) pharmacy students. The majority knew that HPV is a very common sexually transmitted infection linked to the development of cervical cancer, but up to 1/3 didn’t associate it to other cancers. Nearly 2/3 (n=148) knew that condoms don’t fully protect against HPV. Surprisingly, 20.0% (n=49) stated that they have not heard of HPV vaccines, and only 13.5% (n=33) were vaccinated, with half (n=121) willing to get vaccinated. Wrongly, 78.0% (n=191) didn’t think the vaccine can be given to a person already infected, and 27.8% (n=68) didn’t think that a person is eligible after already being sexually active or after young adolescence.
Conclusions. The HPV knowledge of the students is insufficient and they should be provided with more elaborate information during their education.
Keywords: HPV, vaccine, prevention, students, knowledge, survey.
Email to Author
Address for correspondence:
Meri Arman HRISTAMYAN
Address: Medical University of Plovdiv, Blvd Vasil Aprilov 15A, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
E-mail: meri.hristamyan@mu-plovdiv.bg; Phone +359883399364;
