The Debate About the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine: The Impact of an Evidence-Based Communicative Method on Increasing Free Choice

Democratic access to scientific evidence contributes to the freedom of individuals to make informed decisions regarding scientific findings that affect their lives. In the case of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, a debate exists regarding preventing HPV infection that is not supported by evidence-based interventions. For instance, there are positions both in favor of and against an HPV vaccine that are not evidence-based, thus preventing women from deciding freely whether to be vaccinated. Based on a communicative approach, this article describes the use of communicative focus groups and communicative daily life stories in which the researcher shares up-to-date information on HPV prevention, particularly through vaccination and screening, with high-schoolgirls in an urban context in Spain. Through the focus groups and daily life stories, the young women evaluated the impact of evidence-based dialogues, which could increase their opportunities to make free choices regarding the HPV vaccine and other medicines.