ATLANTA — Although most parents in a national survey say that they believe the male HPV vaccine is important, only about half said they would have their own sons vaccinated.
Of the 1,178 parents of boys aged 18 years and younger who responded, 90% said they believed the male HPV vaccination was important in general, Dr. Amanda Dempsey of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, reported in a poster at the National Immunization Conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, only 52% of parents of boys aged 9–17 years indicated that they would have their own son vaccinated in the near future, and only 48% of the parents of boys aged 8 years and younger said they would do so when their son was older.
Parents appeared to be more motivated by the possibility of transmission rather than disease protection, even though there's no evidence the vaccine protects against transmission, Dr. Dempsey noted in an interview.
In data not reported on the poster, 100% of parents cited decreased transmission as a reason to get the vaccine—more than those who cited preventing male cancers (93%) or genital warts (91%). Perceived benefits to vaccination had the largest impact on parental vaccination intention; perceived susceptibility—but not perceived severity—was also a factor. Parents having less than a high school education were associated with decreased vaccination intention for older, but not younger, boys.
The study was conducted before the vaccine was licensed for males, and that may have had an impact on parental decisions, they noted. The research is a starting point; it may help identify key messages that resonate with parents. Intervention studies are underway to explore ways to tailor effective messages.
Disclosures: Dr. Dempsey serves on an advisory board for Merck & Co.