African-American women are less likely to get the vaccine for human papillomavirus, which reduces the risk of cervical cancer, a new University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found.
The findings suggest a need for health care providers to increase recommendations for HPV vaccination and address negative attitudes about the vaccine among women, according to researchers. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that accounts for virtually all cases of cervical cancer. Roughly 12,000 cases of HPV-associated cervical cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States.
In a nationally representative sample of 2,168 females ages 15 to 24, African-Americans were significantly less likely than whites to have received the HPV vaccine, 18.2 percent versus 33.1 percent, respectively, according to the study. The disparity remained even after taking into account socio-demographic factors and access to health care services.