Educational Intervention to Minimize Disparities in Humanpapillomavirus Vaccination (HPV)

While HPV infection is nearly ubiquitous among the sexually active population, the morbidity and mortality from HPV-related diseases disproportionately affects minorities and the poor. Hispanic women are at particularly high risk as they have the highest rates of invasive cervical cancer when compared to all other racial or ethnic groups in the U.S. Initiating the 3-dose HPV vaccination series is more common among Hispanic adolescents than whites, but series completion has been lowest among Hispanic populations.

To understand barriers to HPV vaccination and to provide insight into ways in which an existing educational intervention should be modified for a Hispanic population, the investigators conducted focus groups among Hispanic parents and Latina young adults. All groups reported vaccine cost, access to insurance, and a general lack of awareness and/or understanding of either HPV or the vaccine as barriers. All groups also wanted substantially more "general" information about both HPV and the vaccine in order to make informed vaccination decisions. The educational intervention was generally well received but there were universal suggestions from all the groups to provide additional basic information about HPV infection, to add information about the vaccine for boys/young men, and to modify the color scheme and logo to make it more eye-catching and pleasing.

This current phase of the project will be comprised of real world testing of an iPad-based educational intervention about HPV, "Combatting HPV Infection and Cancer" (CHICOS) that has been revised and developed per focus group feedback to target the Hispanic population.

By providing information that patients and parents have clearly indicated they want in a way that is culturally sensitive and meaningful and also individually personalized, the investigators hope to improve HPV vaccination rates.