TDNet Discover

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and has been associated with various cancers such as cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal. HPV vaccines were developed to decrease the overall incidence and prevalence of the virus in a long-term effort to decrease the future cancer burden in both females and males. Racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity and mortality secondary to HPV-associated cancers in the United States are evident throughout literature. Black and Hispanic females have higher rates of HPV-associated cervical cancer and Black females have higher rates of HPV-associated vaginal cancer. Hispanic males have higher rates of HPV-associated penile cancer and Black males have higher rates of HPV-associated anal cancer. Non-Hispanic people and males have higher rates of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers compared to Hispanic people and females. This research seeks to discover if there are current racial and ethnic disparities in HPV vaccine uptake and series completion among U.S. adolescents. National Immunization Survey (NIS)- Teen from years 2017 - 2019 served as the data source, which targeted adolescents aged 13–17 years living in U.S. households at the time the survey was conducted. Variables extracted included race/ethnicity, HPV vaccine initiation (≥ 1 HPV vaccine injection based on provider records), HPV vaccine completion (patient considered up-to-date [UTD] on HPV series based on provider records), and gender. Odds ratios (ORs) were created for the race and ethnicity being studied: one for initiating the HPV vaccine series and the other for completing the HPV vaccine series. In the years 2017 and 2018, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics were more likely to initiate the HPV vaccine series when compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. In those same years, Hispanics were more likely to complete the HPV vaccine series when compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts, while non-Hispanic Blacks were less likely vi to complete the series. The study’s hypothesis was rejected, as the results showed that non- Hispanic White teens were not more likely to initiate and complete the HPV vaccine series when compared to non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic teens.