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Review
. 2024 Feb 29;12(3):256.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines12030256.

Barriers to and Facilitators for Accessing HPV Vaccination in Migrant and Refugee Populations: A Systematic Review

Davide Graci  1 , Nicolò Piazza  1 , Salvatore Ardagna  1 , Alessandra Casuccio  1 , Anton Drobov  2 , Federica Geraci  1 , Angelo Immordino  3 , Alessandra Pirrello  1 , Vincenzo Restivo  4 , Riccardo Rumbo  1 , Rosalba Stefano  1 , Roberta Virone  1 , Elena Zarcone  1 , Palmira Immordino  1   5
Affiliations
Review

Barriers to and Facilitators for Accessing HPV Vaccination in Migrant and Refugee Populations: A Systematic Review

Davide Graci et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted virus globally and a primary cause of cervical cancer, which ranks fourth among tumors in both incidence and mortality. Despite the availability of effective vaccines worldwide, HPV vaccination rates vary, especially among migrant and refugee populations. Indeed, migrant status may act as a determinant against accessing vaccinations, among many other factors. The objective of this paper is to evaluate barriers to and facilitators for accessing HPV vaccination in migrant and refugee populations. A systematic review of the existing peer-reviewed academic literature was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines in which we examined thirty-four studies to evaluate HPV vaccination rates in these populations and identify factors acting as barriers or facilitators. Key determinants include socio-economic status and health literacy. Communication barriers, including language and cultural factors, also impact access to information and trust in the health workforce. Understanding and considering these factors is crucial for developing proper and inclusive vaccination strategies to ensure that no population is overlooked.

Keywords: HPV; migrants; prevention; public health; refugees; social determinants; vaccination; vaccination strategies; vaccine hesitancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews. * Eight pairs of human reviewers selected, based on the title and abstract, only the publications that contained outcome measures related to HPV vaccination. ° Abstract not available (n = 16); language of the study was not English (n = 7); target population other than migrants and refugees (n = 21); outcome not related to HPV vaccination (n = 28); review, systematic review, meta-analysis, trial, and pre–post intervention study (n = 81). ** Four pairs of human reviewers selected the publications on the basis of the full text [18].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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