Knowledge of pharmacy faculty students about HPV infection and HPV vaccine: A survey study at a Turkish university

Abstract

Introduction

The most important cause of cervical cancer is Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The most important method of protection against HPV infection is vaccination. As pharmacy students will be the pharmacists of the future, they need to have sufficient knowledge about HPV infection, HPV testing, and HPV vaccines. This study aimed to measure the knowledge level of students about HPV infection, testing and vaccines at a pharmacy faculty in Türkiye.

Methods

This online survey was conducted among students at the Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Pharmacy in Isparta between November and December 2024. The Turkish version of the HPV Knowledge Scale was used.

Results

A total of 255 students (63.75%) participated in this study. The mean HPV Knowledge Scale score was 15.25 ± 6. 67. The vaccination rate of students was 7.1%. Students’ sources of information about HPV vaccines were mostly social media (30.3%) and pharmacists (23.5%). Gender and grade year were found to have a significant effect on HPV test and vaccine scores (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In this study, the overall HPV scale score was found to be average. Although students had an acceptable level of knowledge about HPV infection, they lacked sufficient knowledge about HPV testing and HPV vaccines. To raise awareness about HPV in Türkiye, topics such as HPV awareness can be incorporated into university curricula. Social campaigns and informative videos can be organized with health experts on social media platforms where young people are active.