A survey of knowledge and awareness of Jordanian female university students of human papillomavirus infection and its vaccine

To assess the knowledge and awareness of Jordanian female university students regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and its vaccine. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 450 participants at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in Jordan. The survey focused on three areas: knowledge and awareness of HPV infection, knowledge of HPV vaccine, and source of information about HPV infection and its vaccine. The survey response rate was 79.8%. Most of the respondents (about 68%) have heard about HPV and knew that the HPV is a virus in the genital area that is sexually transmitted, and 59% of them knew that persistent infection with PV virus can cause precancerous/cancerous diseases in the genital tract. Only 45% of the respondents have ever heard about HPV vaccine and 37.8% of them knew that HPV vaccine is very effective in preventing HPV infection and its related precancerous/cancerous diseases. Majority of the respondents, 78.7 % and 73.5%, who knew about HPV and HPV vaccine, respectively, had heard about it from healthcare providers. The study suggests that more health education and information about the HPV characteristics and HPV vaccine is needed for female university students.