Alaska Native parental attitudes on cervical cancer, HPV and the HPV vaccine

To describe Alaska Native parents' knowledge of and attitudes towards cervical cancer, the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine.

This was a qualitative study composed of 11 focus groups (n = 80) that were held in 1 small village, 2 towns and 1 large urban centre in Alaska.

A convenience sample of Alaska Native parents/guardians was recruited in each community to participate in focus groups and to fill out a quantitative survey.

While many parents had heard about HPV, most were unaware of its link with cervical cancer. The majority wanted to vaccinate their daughters because they had health and safety concerns; believed that vaccines work; had personal experiences with cancer; or believed that their daughters were susceptible to HPV. Reasons for refusal included general concerns about vaccines; a need for more information; a fear of side effects; wanting more vaccine research; and a fear of being in an experimental trial.

The majority of parents were interested in having their daughters vaccinated. Acceptance of the vaccine was primarily based on a parent's desire to protect her/his child from cancer; while reasons for refusal revolved around trust issues and fear of unknown negative consequences of the vaccine.