Acceptability of HPV vaccine among a national sample of gay and bisexual men

Paul L. Reiter, Noel T. Brewer, Annie Laurie McRee, Paul Gilbert, Jennifer S. Smith

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    112 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE: Due to higher rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and anal cancer among gay and bisexual men, we aimed to characterize their willingness to get HPV vaccine and identify correlates of vaccine acceptability. Methods: We surveyed a national sample of men aged 18 to 59 who self-identified as either gay (n = 236) or bisexual (n = 70) during January 2009. We analyzed data using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Most men had heard of HPV vaccine (73%, 224/306) and were willing to get it (74%, 225/306). HPV vaccine acceptability was higher among men who believed their doctor would recommend getting the vaccine (OR = 12.87, 95% CI: 4.63-35.79) and those who were unsure (OR = 3.15, 95% CI: 1.47-6.76), as compared to men who believed their doctor would not recommend it. Acceptability was also higher among men who reported 5 or more lifetime sexual partners (OR = 3.39, 95% CI: 1.34-8.55), perceived greater severity of HPV-related disease (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.18-3.14), perceived higher levels of HPV vaccine effectiveness (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.27-3.06), or reported higher levels of anticipated regret if they did not get vaccinated and later developed an HPV infection (OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.57-3.61). Conclusions: HPV vaccine acceptability was high among gay and bisexual men. These findings identify potentially important beliefs and attitudes for future communication efforts about HPV and HPV vaccine among gay and bisexual men.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)197-203
    Number of pages7
    JournalSexually Transmitted Diseases
    Volume37
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Mar 2010

    PubMed: MeSH publication types

    • Journal Article
    • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
    • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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