Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus which mainly spreads through sexual contact and is the most causative agent of cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, and the eighth most frequent cancer among women in Saudi Arabia. The currently available HPV vaccines can markedly decrease the incidence of this cancer.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the awareness level about HPV, its transmission methods, its link to cervical carcinoma, and its vaccine protection against cervical cancer among females in Riyadh in 2021. This study was conducted through an electronic questionnaire and included 1,003 females aged ≥18 years old of different education levels and marital statuses.
Results: The results show that the awareness about HPV is significantly low, only 30% of participants were aware of HPV, and only half of those had information about the HPV vaccine. In addition, only 20% of the participants knew that HPV is transmitted sexually. The level of knowledge was low even among health care workers, only 58% of them were aware of HPV, and 53% of them lack knowledge about the vaccine.
Conclusion: According to our data, females in Riyadh have a significantly low awareness of HPV and its vaccination. Based on our outcome, we recommend increasing awareness about HPV infection and the importance of vaccination in decreasing the incidence of cervical carcinoma.
Key words: Awareness, human papillomavirus infection, transmission, cervical carcinoma, vaccination.
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