Women, Girls In Hong Kong Lack Knowledge About Cervical Cancer, Open To Receiving HPV Vaccination, Survey Finds

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 24 Aug 2007 - 3:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Women and girls in Hong Kong have misconceptions and lack knowledge about cervical cancer, but most women said they would be willing to receive a human papillomavirus vaccination after they were informed about it, according to a survey released Tuesday by researchers at Hong Kong University, Hong Kong's Standard reports (Jiang, Standard, 8/21). For the study, HKU researchers from April 2006 to July 2007 sent a questionnaire to 1,413 women and conducted two focus groups involving 113 women and girls ages 13 to 58.

The survey found that 39% of the women could answer correctly at least four of seven questions about HPV and that 33% percent could answer correctly at least nine of 18 questions about cervical cancer (Benitez, South China Morning Post, 8/21). According to the findings, many women attributed cervical cancer to environmental and lifestyle factors, including air pollution, radiation or eating too much fast food. About 81% of the respondents correctly identified having multiple sexual partners as a risk factor for developing cervical cancer.

More than 50% of the respondents said they had not heard of an HPV vaccine, but 87% said they would consider being vaccinated if they had more information about the vaccine. The survey also found that most mothers in the focus groups would support having their daughters vaccinated (Standard, 8/21). More than half of teenage girls surveyed said they would be willing to receive an HPV vaccine, but many said they did not see a pressing need to do so, according to Peter Lee Wing-ho, a professor at HKU's psychiatry department (South China Morning Post, 8/21).

Comments
Hextan Ngan Yuen-sheung -- professor of gynecology at HKU and chair of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong -- said cost might be the deciding factor in receiving an HPV vaccine, particularly for younger girls. The three-dose vaccine costs at least 3,000 Hong Kong dollars, or $380. "With better public education about cervical cancer and the HPV virus, I'm confident that most women would accept the vaccine," Ngan said (Standard, 8/21).

She said she hoped the government would look into including the vaccine in child immunization programs. A spokesperson with the Hong Kong Department of Health said the agency has no plans to include the vaccine (South China Morning Post, 8/21). There were 439 new cases of cervical cancer in Hong Kong in 2004, and 128 deaths resulted from the disease (The Standard, 8/21).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.