Frequency of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Knowledge Levels of Women between 15 and 49 Years: A Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the frequency of vaccination with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among women aged 15-49 years and their knowledge levels. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on female patients aged 15-49 years who applied to a rural state hospital, family medicine outpatient clinic, between December 15, 2019, and March 1, 2020. A questionnaire about HPV vaccination was filled out through a face-to-face interview. Patients who did not agree to participate in the study, who had a hysterectomy, and those diagnosed with cervical malignancy or premalignancy were excluded. Results: The mean age of 409 female participants was 30.0[+ or -]9.1 years. None of the women who participated in this study had the HPV vaccine. The number of those who heard about the HPV vaccine was 164 (40.1%). After brief information about the HPV vaccine, 269 (65.8%) participants wanted to have the HPV vaccine. Conclusion: It was determined that the frequency of HPV vaccination and the knowledge levels about the HPV vaccine are low. Keywords: Papillomaviridae, papillomavirus vaccines, uterine cervical neoplasms