Abstract
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide and the second most common cancer among women in India. In 2020, an estimated 123,907 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed and 77,348 deaths occurred in India, corresponding to a crude mortality rate of 11.7%, despite the disease being largely preventable. Two prophylactic vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix are available, yet vaccine uptake in India remains very low. This study was undertaken to assess awareness of the HPV vaccine among adolescent girls and to identify the reasons for non-immunisation. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted at Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, Punjab, between March and May 2025, among school-going adolescent girls aged 10–19 years. Girls who provided informed consent were enrolled. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire covering personal and demographic details, awareness of HPV and the reasons for non-immunisation, and HPV vaccination status. Analysis was performed using SPSS, with a p value < 0.05 considered statistically significant for associations between sociodemographic factors and non-acceptance. Of 327 girls screened, only 12 (3.67%) had received the HPV vaccine. Most participants were aged 14–17 years (58.7%), followed by 10–13 years (26.3%) and >17 years (14.9%). Overall, 68.8% were unaware of cervical cancer, 87.7% had never heard of human papillomavirus (HPV), and 87.2% had never heard of the HPV vaccine; none could name any HPV vaccine, although 40.1% were willing to be vaccinated. Insufficient information about HPV was the predominant reason for non-acceptance (97.6%), followed by concern about safety or side effects (33.6%) and cost (15.3%); non-recommendation by a family physician (14.7%) and parental decision (2.8%) were cited infrequently. Lack of information about the vaccine was significantly associated with paternal education, paternal occupation, and socioeconomic status (all p = 0.001). Because the HPV vaccine is a recent introduction in India, providing adequate information and improving awareness among adolescents is essential to achieve a positive impact on uptake. Although the girls recognised that the risk of cervical cancer is high and that vaccination is required before disease onset, their overall knowledge of HPV and the vaccine was poor.
Keywords: Adolescent girls; School; Cervical cancer; HPV vaccine