A study found multiple gaps in awareness and knowledge concerning the connection between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and several other kinds of cancer amongst Hispanic and Latino men who identified as sexual minorities, in accordance with results presented on the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, held September 29-October 2, 2023.
Sexual minority men are a population group at higher risk for HPV infections and subsequent HPV-related health concerns, including anal cancer. Prior research has demonstrated suboptimal HPV vaccine uptake amongst young adults, including sexual minority men. Additional efforts are needed to make sure that all age-eligible community members can profit from this effective cancer prevention method.”
Shannon M. Christy, PhD, assistant member within the Division of Population Science at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida
Christy said she and collaborators had previously identified an absence of Spanish-language materials about HPV vaccination for young adults, and located no materials culturally adapted for Hispanic and Latino sexual and gender minority community members. “To cut back HPV-related cancer disparities, it is crucial that information be relevant and actionable and available to age-eligible people of their preferred language,” said Christy.
In a study conducted between August 2021 and August 2022, Christy and colleagues sought to evaluate awareness about HPV and HPV-related cancers, in addition to beliefs about HPV vaccination and risk, amongst young adult Spanish-speaking sexual minority men living in Florida and Puerto Rico. The goal of the study was to tell the event of an HPV vaccine education intervention to be tested in a future trial.
The study team administered a Spanish-language online survey to individuals between the ages of 18 and 26 who were born male and were living in Florida and Puerto Rico, all of whom identified as Hispanic or Latino, having had sex with a person or being interested in men, and having the ability to read and understand Spanish. The outcomes presented focused on 102 participants who said that they had not received the HPV vaccine.
Fifty-six percent responded incorrectly or “have no idea” to a matter about whether most sexually energetic individuals are in danger for being infected with HPV, and 20% responded incorrectly or “have no idea” to a matter assessing whether men might be infected with HPV. Most respondents (69%) appropriately identified that HPV may cause genital warts. Nonetheless, greater than half responded incorrectly or “have no idea” to questions on the link between HPV and anal (54%), oral (61%), or penile (65%) cancers.
“There continues to be significant work to be done in raising public awareness across the link between HPV and HPV-related cancers, and concerning the indisputable fact that HPV is common and impacts people no matter gender, biological sex assigned at birth, or sexual orientation. As well as, further efforts are needed to lift awareness concerning the efficacy of the HPV vaccine in protecting against the event of HPV-related cancers,” Christy said.
Overall, 56% of respondents said that they had heard of the HPV vaccine. Nonetheless, only 19% said a provider had really useful it to them. “There are numerous adults who’re age-eligible who haven’t yet received the HPV vaccine, haven’t had a provider recommend the HPV vaccine, and ought to be educated about HPV and the vaccine while they’re still within the age range eligible for catch-up vaccination,” Christy said.
Amongst respondents, nearly half reported being somewhat, very, or extremely concerned about cost being a barrier to receiving the HPV vaccine. Most participants (56%) reported they were either by no means or only a bit of concerned with the security of the HPV vaccine; nevertheless, 25% responded they were very or extremely concerned.
“It is crucial that we as a research community consider the numerous aspects which will currently get in the way in which of HPV vaccination amongst young adults and work to develop interventions to beat these obstacles. This is particularly vital for community members who’re disproportionately affected by HPV-related cancers,” Christy said.
Current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call for routine HPV vaccination for adolescents around ages 11 or 12. As well as, young adults as much as age 26 are encouraged to be vaccinated in the event that they didn’t receive the vaccine once they were younger. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the HPV vaccine for people ages 9-45. Christy said the outcomes of this study function a reminder for young adults to concentrate on their HPV vaccination history and to talk to a health care provider about getting the vaccine.
“Our study also points to the necessity for a call to motion to providers to recommend the HPV vaccine. Prior studies have consistently shown the importance of provider suggestion in HPV vaccine receipt. Nonetheless, most study participants reported that that they had not received a provider suggestion to receive the vaccine. Importantly, many young adults shouldn’t have a daily health care provider, which is yet one more barrier to beat.”
Christy said that amongst survey participants who had a primary care provider, lower than half had disclosed their sexual orientation to their provider. She speculated that prior experiences of discrimination may limit patients’ willingness to reveal their sexual orientation, and highlighted the importance of providers and systems ensuring that they’re providing culturally relevant care.
“Our study was focused on Hispanic/Latino sexual minority men, but actually there are a lot of HPV-related disparities experienced by other sexual minority population groups in addition to gender minority population groups. More research is required to characterize HPV education needs and preferences amongst various young adult population groups and particularly those groups for whom disparities exist,” Christy said.
Christy cited the cross-sectional nature of this study and its concentrate on Florida and Puerto Rico as potential limitations.
This study was a pilot project led by Christy and Melissa Marzán-Rodríguez, DrPH, MPH, CPH. The study was funded by the Ponce Health Sciences University-Moffitt Cancer Center partnership, with funding from the National Cancer Institute (CA163068 and CA163071). The goal of the partnership is to cut back cancer disparities affecting Hispanic and Latino community members in Puerto Rico and Florida. The study also was supported by the Participant Research, Interventions, and Measurement Core at Moffitt, which is funded partly by the Moffitt Cancer Center Support Grant (CA076292). Christy is an unpaid advisory board member of HPV Cancers Alliance.