Sensitivity of Self-Reported Human Papillomavirus Vaccination History Among 18- to 26-Year-Old Men Who Have Sex With...

We assessed the sensitivity of self-reported human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among young adult men who have sex with men (MSM) with documented HPV vaccination.

During 2016-2018, MSM and transgender women aged 18 to 26 years were enrolled in Seattle, WA. A history of HPV vaccination was assessed via self-administered survey, clinic electronic medical records, and the Washington State Immunization Information System. We assessed self-report sensitivity among participants with documented prior HPV vaccination (≥1 dose) in either the electronic medical record or the Washington State Immunization Information System, and used logistic regression to compare sensitivity by age, number of doses, and time since first dose.

Of 292 participants with ≥1 documented HPV vaccine dose, 243 self-reported ≥1 dose (sensitivity, 83.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 78.4%-87.3%). Compared with participants whose first dose was <1 year ago, the likelihood of self-report was lower among those with ≥3 years since first dose (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.5). Furthermore, compared with participants with only 1 documented HPV vaccine dose, the likelihood of self-reporting ≥1 dose was higher among those with 2 (aOR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.0-5.5) or ≥3 doses (aOR, 6.2; 95% CI, 2.7-14.4). Among 115 participants with ≥3 documented doses, sensitivity for recalling ≥3 doses was 69.6% (95% CI, 60.3%-77.8%).

Most young adult MSM with a documented history of HPV vaccination self-reported prior HPV vaccination. Although recall was highest in those with ≥3 doses, 30% of this fully vaccinated subgroup did not correctly recall the number of doses received, highlighting limitations of self-reporting. Furthermore, results indicating reduced recall with ≥3 years since first dose suggest that sensitivity of self-report among young adult MSM may decline over time as adolescent vaccination coverage increases.