Publication:

Knowledge, attitude and practice on “human papilloma virus vaccination” among male medical undergraduate and postgraduate students in a tertiary care teaching centre: an observational and cross sectional study

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a significant health risk for males, yet awareness and vaccination rates remain low. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice levels regarding HPV and its vaccination among male medical students.

Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire among 165 male medical students in a tertiary care centre in Central India. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and un-paired ‘t’ tests.

Results The study identified significant gaps in knowledge about HPV vaccinations. Only 34.8% of respondents answered correctly on average to questions about HPV vaccines, though 81.4% recognized the need for vaccination. The overall attitude towards HPV vaccination was positive, with 73.4% expressing confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy.

Conclusions Despite a generally positive attitude towards HPV vaccination, knowledge among medical students remains inadequate in certain areas.  Despite knowing about the vaccine, uptake was low, illustrating the "knowledge-practice gap" in healthcare. Increased educational efforts are recommended to improve knowledge and uptake of HPV vaccination.