The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can help prevent numerous cancers and genital warts. Traditionally, pediatricians and family medicine providers administer the vaccine. However, pharmacists can also vaccinate against HPV. The objective for this study is to assess Arizona pharmacists’ behaviors and influences in relation to administering the HPV vaccine. We administered a survey to Arizona pharmacists at a statewide virtual conference. The key points that are assessed: pharmacists’ behaviors, intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral in relation to the human papillomavirus vaccination. Looking at the measures, the leading outcomes of the study involved the HPV vaccination behavior and intentions to administer the vaccine. Secondary outcomes related more to the Theory of Planned Behavior constructs, which ended up being stronger with predictions of HPV vaccine administration intentions and behavior. Our results show that most of pharmacists held very positive attitudes (on a Likert Scale of 1-5)towards the HPV vaccine. It looked like attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm combined had a big influence on HPV vaccination intentions; however, the strongest predictor came down to the subjective norms, in administering the vaccine. Pharmacists believed strongly with implementing the HPV vaccine, and want to do so in the near future. In conclusion, the overall point of the study is that there should be a need in increasing pharmacy professionals’ subjective norms to vaccinate against the HPV in order to accelerate pharmacy-based HPV immunizations. Implementing human papillomavirus vaccine promotions in the near future could help engage leadership in pharmacy, and further encourage pharmacists’ awareness to administer the vaccine. Additionally, raising pharmacists’ awareness to administer the vaccine among adolescents could add facilitation in increasing human papillomavirus rates.

Arizona State University (ASU) has experienced an increase of sexually transmitted infections, has a reputation of a large population of students with sexually transmitted infections, and does not provide any form of required sexual health education to its students in order to reduce this health risk. This study conducted focus group research amongst ASU female students to determine their opinions, experience, and comfort level with sexual health education information as well as their opinion of an ASU mandated sexual health education module. The research showed a desire for more information on sexuality, psychology, hormones, anatomy, and sexually transmitted infections. The participants also expressed support for an ASU sexual health training module though there was debate as to whether or not to make the module mandatory.
The ASU student body is primarily young students who are making some of the first adult decisions of their lives and the majority have come from backgrounds lacking in sexual health education. The way to ensure the health and safety of these students is to give them the information they need to make educated decisions regarding their health and their relationships. This thesis concludes that ASU should mandate a sexual health education training module in the form of a semester long class, in-person or online, with small classes of 5-15 students each in order to improve the health of the ASU community.

In the US, individuals between ages 18-26 years old have the highest incidence of new HPV infection, the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV infection can lead to the development of non-cancerous genital warts and persistent infection with cancerous strains can cause various cancers. An HPV vaccine which offers protection against seven cancerous strains and the two non-cancerous strains which cause genital warts has recommended for use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for both men and women beginning in 2011. However, young adult men, including college-aged men, are lagging in HPV vaccine uptake and completion. This cross-sectional study, guided by the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behavior, seeks to explore college men’s behaviors and intentions to getting the HPV vaccine (primary outcomes). It also seeks to explore their perceived susceptibility and severity of HPV infection; attitudes about the HPV vaccine, self-efficacy and social norms to vaccinate, and stigma related to HPV infection (secondary outcomes). Study results showed that only 33% of college men reported knowing they had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. The majority of men reported they had never had a conversation about the HPV vaccine with their primary care provider. Overall, men had positive attitudes about the HPV vaccine, high self-efficacy to communicate and access the vaccine, but low intentions and low social norms to vaccinate against this virus. Outcomes of this research suggest the need for future intervention work to focus on increasing college males’ social norms to vaccinate against HPV. Influencing parents, peers, and other influential individuals to encourage college males to vaccinate against HPV may, in fact, increase their intentions and behaviors to utilize this cancer prevention resource.

Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.

Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding structure, and discussed themes as they emerged from the data.

Results: Although more than half of the students had never heard of the HPV vaccine, students generally held positive views about vaccines. Barriers to receiving the HPV vaccine included lack of awareness and knowledge about the HPV vaccine, as well as lack of perceived need for the vaccine. When asked about the most important information that they needed in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to get the vaccine, participants mentioned the following: 1) prevalence of HPV, 2) HPV-related diseases, 3) what the HPV vaccine protects against, 4) HPV vaccine safety, 5) HPV vaccine efficacy, and 6) how they can access the vaccine. Participants differed in their preferences for types of health education, from an in-person informative lecture, to YouTube videos, to posters placed in dorms or in bathrooms. They preferred the conveyor of this information to be a trustworthy source; they identified healthcare providers, professors/researchers, and other students who have received the vaccine as credible sources. In terms of message appeal, many students described wanting the facts, statistics about HPV prevalence and the vaccine as well as narratives from students who have been diagnosed with HPV and those who have experience receiving the vaccine.

Conclusions: Although this cancer prevention resource has been commercially available since 2006, college students still a lack of awareness and perceived need for the HPV vaccine. Future health education efforts should utilize participants’ recommendations to increase students’ understanding of HPV and the HPV vaccine and, therefore, impact their perceived susceptibility to HPV, the benefits of the vaccine to their health, and therefore increase utilization of this resource. Strategies to increase vaccination should include health education and vaccine implementation strategies, as well as strategies to reduce the cost of the vaccine for college students, thereby increasing the accessibility of the vaccine for this population.

Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.
Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding structure, and discussed themes as they emerged from the data.
Results: Although more than half of the students had never heard of the HPV vaccine, students generally held positive views about vaccines. Barriers to receiving the HPV vaccine included lack of awareness and knowledge about the HPV vaccine, as well as lack of perceived need for the vaccine. When asked about the most important information that they needed in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to get the vaccine, participants mentioned the following: 1) prevalence of HPV, 2) HPV-related diseases, 3) what the HPV vaccine protects against, 4) HPV vaccine safety, 5) HPV vaccine efficacy, and 6) how they can access the vaccine. Participants differed in their preferences for types of health education, from an in-person informative lecture, to YouTube videos, to posters placed in dorms or in bathrooms. They preferred the conveyor of this information to be a trustworthy source; they identified healthcare providers, professors/researchers, and other students who have received the vaccine as credible sources. In terms of message appeal, many students described wanting the facts, statistics about HPV prevalence and the vaccine as well as narratives from students who have been diagnosed with HPV and those who have experience receiving the vaccine.
Conclusions: Although this cancer prevention resource has been commercially available since 2006, college students still a lack of awareness and perceived need for the HPV vaccine. Future health education efforts should utilize participants’ recommendations to increase students’ understanding of HPV and the HPV vaccine and, therefore, impact their perceived susceptibility to HPV, the benefits of the vaccine to their health, and therefore increase utilization of this resource. Strategies to increase vaccination should include health education and vaccine implementation strategies, as well as strategies to reduce the cost of the vaccine for college students, thereby increasing the accessibility of the vaccine for this population.

This paper describes a thesis project in which I adapted validated survey questions to assess male college students’ perceptions of HPV and the HPV vaccine. Initial studies about HPV were focused on women in order to understand cervical cancer, and it was later discovered that HPV can cause other cancers, even types that can affect men. Because the original research was focused on women, this lead to a delay in research about HPV in males. After the creation of the HPV vaccine, HPV vaccine promotion efforts were historically focused on women, overlooking men as potential targets for this cancer prevention vaccine. This paper briefly describes the HPV vaccine, historic marketing efforts which have focused on vaccinating women against HPV to prevent cervical cancer, and the implications that this presents for men, particularly male college students who are at an increased risk for contracting HPV. College men are an important population to study because of these potential risk factors in addition to discrepancies in their vaccination rates prior to attending a university. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Health Belief Model (HBM) have been shown to predict HPV vaccine uptake among college students, including in studies that focus on college males. For this thesis, I identified questions driven by the two health behavior theories, selected and modified questions for survey research, and am currently conducting the survey using REDCap software at Arizona State University. This project serves to further the conversation about men’s health in regards to HPV and the HPV vaccine in addition to addressing the problematic lack of attention on college males within this scope of research.