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Background: While both women and men have questions about HPV vaccines, information should be tailored to meet the specific needs of each group.
Objectives: To improve communication around HPV vaccines with both men and women by understanding the topics of greatest concern to users participating in ASHA’s electronic STI message board forums, a service that currently has more than 8,000 posts from over 2,000 registered users.
Methods: HPV vaccine questions posted to the message boards between December 2006 and August 2008 from clients who self-identified as female or male were evaluated and data were quantitatively analyzed.
Results: Client’s vaccine concerns most often included safety, efficacy, vaccination in those who have one or more HPV types covered by the quadrivalent vaccine, off label use, and the potential of therapeutic vaccines. Gender-specific themes included women more often seeking information around safety and therapeutic use of vaccines, and men asking questions about non-licensed use of the quadrivalent vaccine, and use of the vaccine in a partner. Both genders were uncertain about use of HPV vaccines in those with a history of HPV, and were keenly interested in experimental vaccines.
Conclusions: Women and men have similar, but not identical, informational needs with HPV vaccines, and are eager to learn more about updated vaccine indications and new products.
Implications for Programs, Policy, and/or Research: Pending regulatory decisions that may result in new HPV vaccines coming to market, along with expanded indications for ones currently approved, will keep this topic in the public eye. Women and men both have broad-ranging questions about HPV vaccines, and seek clarification about their best use. There is a need for materials and services (such as those provided by ASHA) designed and tested specifically with each group to address this demand for clear, consistent messaging around HPV vaccines.