Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Hesitancy and Barriersin Achieving 100% Vaccine Coverage - A Web-based Cross-sectional Study

Sep 23, 2026

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is highlighted as an effective primary measure against HPV-related infections and deadly cancers, yet uptake in India remains low despite availability for nearly 17 years. This web-based cross-sectional study uses snowball sampling with a prevalidated 15-item questionnaire circulated via social media to identify vaccine hesitancy (VH) reasons. Among 1018 participants, 80.9% were unvaccinated; unawareness was the most common barrier (38.2%).

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords

| Original Article | | --- | | | Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Hesitancy and Barriersin Achieving 100% Vaccine Coverage: A Web‑based Cross‑sectional Study Asmita Kaundal, Prachi Renjhen1, Shikha Sharma2, Sonal Prasad1, Poojan Dogra Marwaha, Harpreet Kaur Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, New Delhi, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Command Hospital, Chandigarh, Punjab, India Abstract Introduction: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is one of the most effective primary measures to prevent HPV‑related infections and deadly cancers. Despite the availability of the HPV vaccine in the market for almost 17 years, it still remains underutilized. This study is planned with the objective to find out the reasons for vaccine hesitancy (VH) among the Indian population. Materials and Methods: Web‑based cross‑sectional study done using a snowball sampling method. A prevalidated questionnaire containing 15 items was circulated through social media, and responses were evaluated for causes of VH. Results: Out of 1018 study participants, the majority were between 15 and 20 years (64.1%) of age. Most participants were females (60.5% vs. 39.5%). Out of all, 37.8% were sexually active. Most (99%) of the study participants did not have any children. The majority were students (72.2%). Most (87%) had heard about HPV vaccination, and teachers (46.2%) were the most common source of their information. Only 15.4% of the participants were aware that the vaccine was for both boys and girls. Only 15.9% knew that HPV vaccination can protect from genital warts, oropharyngeal carcinoma, cervical cancer, anal cancer, and vulvarand vaginal cancers. The majority (80.9%) were unvaccinated, and unawareness about the vaccine was the most common reason (38.2%) for that. Among vaccinated, majority experienced no major side effects (90.2%). Conclusion: VH is one of the major barriers limiting 100% utilization of HPV vaccine across the country and needs to be addressed to combat the HPV virus‑related disease. Keywords: Barriers, human papillomavirus, human papillomavirus vaccination, vaccine hesitancy Résumé Introduction: Le vaccin contre le papillomavirus humain (HPV) est l’une des mesures primaires les plus efficaces pour prévenir les infections liées au VPH et des cancers mortels. Malgré la disponibilité du vaccin contre le VPH sur le marché depuis près de 17 ans, il reste sous‑utilisé . Cette étude est prévu dans l’objectif de découvrir les raisons de l’hésitation vaccinale (VH) parmi la population indienne. Matériaux et méthodes: basée sur le Web Étude transversale réalisée en utilisant une méthode d’échantillonnage boule de neige. Un questionnaire prévalé contenant 15 éléments a été diffusé à travers Les médias sociaux et les réponses ont été évalués pour les causes de VH. Résultats: sur 1018 participants à l’étude, la majorité se situait entre 15 et 20 ans (64,1%) d’âge. La plupart des participants étaient des femmes (60,5% contre 39,5%). Sur tous, 37,8% étaient sexuellement actifs. Laplupart (99%) de l’étude Les participants n’avaient pas d’enfants. La majorité était des étudiants (72,2%) . La plupart (87%) avaient entendu parler dela vaccination contre le VPH et des enseignants (46,2%) étaient la source la plus courante de leurs informations. Seulement 15,4% des participants savaient que le vaccin était pour les garçons et les filles. Seulement 15,9% savaient que la vaccination par leVPHpeut protéger des verrues génitales, du carcinome oropharyngé, du cancer du colde l’utérus, du cancer anal et de la vulvaire et cancers vaginaux. La majorité (80,9%) n’étaient pas vaccinées, et la méconnaissance du | Access this article online | | | --- | --- | | Quick Response Code:
| Website:
[www.annalsafrmed.org](www.annalsafrmed.org) | | | DOI:
10.4103/aam.aam_8

FAQs

What was the main objective of the study?

To identify reasons for HPV vaccine hesitancy among the Indian population.

How was the study conducted?

A web-based cross-sectional design was used with snowball sampling and a prevalidated 15-item questionnaire shared through social media.

What were the key findings about vaccination status and barriers?

Most participants (80.9%) were unvaccinated, and unawareness about the vaccine was the most common reason (38.2%).

What did the study report about safety among vaccinated participants?

Among vaccinated participants, the majority experienced no major side effects (90.2%).

Sep 23, 2026

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