HPV Vaccine Acceptability Study

Human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that causes over 70% of cervical cancer, disproportionately affects women of racial/ethnic minority status in the United States. Despite our ability to prevent the condition, cervical cancer remains a pervasive problem in Texas, with significantly higher incidence and mortality among African American women. African American women are less likely to know about HPV than white women, and because of a lack of culturally-appropriate cancer and sexually transmitted infection information, African American women are also less likely to use such information to prevent and reduce HPV and cervical cancer risks. This formative, qualitative study will identify perceptions of HPV and the HPV vaccine among African American women who serve as the primary caregivers of girls in Tarrant County, Texas. Using a community-based participatory approach, investigators are working with Tarrant County Public Health, the Fort Worth Public Health Department, and the Primary Care Research Institute to develop a series of focus groups to explore how African American women perceive HPV information and what risks they believe exist with HPV and its vaccine.  The findings from this project will assist in the development of a culturally appropriate program of intervention for this specific population and will form the basis for a subsequent study to test interventions that will ultimately contribute to cervical cancer control.