Examining HPV Awareness, Sexual Behavior, and Intent to Receive the HPV Vaccine Among Racial/Ethnic Male College Students 18–27 years

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and vaccination among males in the general population is low. Men in general, but particularly racial/ethnic men, are disproportionately affected by HPV. The purpose of this article is to examine college males’ (a) HPV awareness, (b) sexual behaviors, and (c) intention to receive the HPV vaccination. A non-probability sample of all students who self-reported their race/ethnicity and were attending a university in Southeastern United States were contacted by the university registrar’s office and recruited to participate in the 15-minute survey. Males, ages 18–27 years ( N = 190), were identified for this study. χ2, t-tests, and binomial logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between knowing about HPV and HPV vaccine and the intent to receive the HPV vaccination. Findings indicated that 67.4% of the sample identified as Hispanic or Black. Among all men, 73.2% reported previous sexual experience and 49.5% were currently sexually active. There were 79.5% who had previous knowledge about HPV and 55.8% had knowledge about the HPV vaccine; 71.1% of the sample did not intend to receive the vaccine. Hispanic and Black men were less likely to identify as virgins, more likely to be sexually active, and more likely to have sexual experiences at an earlier age compared to White, Asian, and other men. Men with previous HPV vaccine knowledge (28.4%) were more likely to intend to receive the vaccine compared to men who did not have previous knowledge about the vaccine (14.9%). Providing males with information about HPV, its transmission, and possible HPV-related outcomes may increase HPV vaccine uptake.