Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jan-Feb;56(1):23-7.
doi: 10.4103/0300-1652.149166.

Knowledge and perception of human papilloma virus vaccine among the antenatal women in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Teddy E Agida  1 , Godwin O Akaba  1 , Aliyu Y Isah  1 , Bissalla Ekele  1
Affiliations

Knowledge and perception of human papilloma virus vaccine among the antenatal women in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Teddy E Agida et al. Niger Med J. 2015 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is a major health problem globally, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria inclusive. One of the preventive measures is the vaccination of teenagers against oncogenic human papilloma virus. The aim of this study was to find out the level of knowledge mothers possess about these vaccines and their willingness to administer vaccination to their teenage girls.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 255 consecutive women attending antenatal clinic at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja. They were given either a self-administered questionnaire or interviewer-administered questionnaire containing both closed and open-ended questions. Information recorded includes socio-demographic variables, knowledge of cervical cancer, knowledge of HPV/HPV vaccines and acceptance of these vaccines for their adolescent girls. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results: The mean age of the respondents was 26.9 years. Over 90% had at least secondary education. A total of 102 (40%) had the knowledge of cancer of the cervix while 153 (60%) had never heard about it. Overall, 236 (92.5%) of them had no idea about the predisposing factors. The study showed that only 23 (9.0%) out of the total respondents had heard about human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. In the same vein, 20 (7.8%) had knowledge about HPV vaccine. Among the respondents, who had the knowledge of HPV and vaccination, 18.2% and 23.4% of them had secondary and tertiary levels of education respectively. Overall, 160 (62.8%) accepted that the vaccines could be administered to their teenage girls.

Conclusions: Awareness of cervical cancer, HPV infections, and HPV vaccines is low among antenatal clinic attendees in Gwagwalada, Abuja. However, majority of them would want their girls vaccinated against HPV infections. There is a need for all stakeholders to step up awareness creation for improved HPV vaccination project in Nigeria.

Keywords: Antenatal clinic attendees; HPV infections; awareness; cancer; cervical cancer; cervix; vaccines.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

References

    1. Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, Forman D, Mathers C, Parkin DM. Estimates of worldwide burden of cancer in 2008.GLOBOCAN 2008. Int J Cancer. 2010;127:2893–917. - PubMed
    1. Louie KS, de Sanjose S, Mayaud P. Epidemiology and prevention of human papilloma virus and cancer in sub-Saharan African: A comprehensive review. Trop Med Int Health. 2009;14:1287–302. - PubMed
    1. Parkin DM, Sitas F, Chirenje M, Stein L, Abratt R, Wabinga H. Cancer in Indigenous Africans-burden, distribution and trends. Lancet Oncol. 2008;9:683–92. - PubMed
    1. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division (2013) World Population Prospect: The 2012 Revision
    1. Adewole IF, Benedet JL, Crai BT, Follen M. Evolving a strategic approach to cervical cancer control in Africa. Gynecol Oncol. 2005;99:S209–12. - PubMed