Using Education to Improve Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake among Adolescents

Abstract

The human papillomavirus vaccine protects adolescents against the human papillomavirus and is recommended for all males and females starting at age 11. The human papillomavirus vaccine is an effective approach to reduce infections and associated cancers however, vaccination uptake continues to lag behind other vaccines common in adolescents. This evidence based proposal aimed to improve human papillomavirus vaccine uptake among adolescents using an education bundle. This project was a quasi-experimental, single group, prospective design which focused on ten adolescents age eleven through fourteen, who scheduled a well child check or sports physical in an urban pediatric clinic. An educational bundle was implemented prior to receiving the human papillomavirus vaccine to improve vaccine uptake. This outcome was evaluated by measuring vaccination uptake among adolescents who received the educational materials compared to baseline data from retrospective chart reviews. Results suggest that the use of the education bundle had a positive impact on HPV vaccine uptake with a 46.7 percent rate of acceptance among the pre-education group, n=16, compared to an 80 percent acceptance rate among the post-education group, n=10. When adolescents consistently accept the human papillomavirus vaccine, the overall prevalence and transmission of the virus are decreased and associated cancers can be prevented in the United States. Through the use of education, healthcare providers can improve the current human papillomavirus vaccine rates and reduce the prevalence of human papillomavirus infections and associated health complications among adolescents.