HPV knowledge and behaviors of black college students at a historically black university

College students are at high risk for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, yet their knowledge and self-protective behaviors appear inadequate. Researchers who have measured HPV-related knowledge and behaviors in evaluating college intervention efforts pay secondary attention to black college students because this group generally represents only a small subset of samples of the broader college population.

The authors' purpose in this study was to examine HPV-related knowledge and behaviors in 351 black undergraduates attending a historically black southeastern university in the spring of 2003.

Voluntary and anonymous student participation was solicited in randomly selected undergraduate classes.

Results indicated that most students lacked HPV awareness (64%), became aware of HPV largely after infection, and gained their HPV knowledge from a health-care provider or college class. The authors performed an analysis by gender and found that women were more knowledgeable about HPV than were men. Observed HPV-related knowledge and behaviors were similar to samples of the broader US college population.

Findings suggest a greater need for HPV intervention efforts for all college students, including those at black colleges.