Abstract:
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted viruses worldwide and is associated with cervical cancer. Through research, a prophylactic HPV vaccine has been developed and has proven effective in a number of clinical trials. For a HPV vaccination program to be successfully implemented, parental knowledge, preferences, perceptions and willingness to use the HPV vaccine are very important and need to be assessed correctly. The main objective of this study was to determine the knowledge on human papilloma virus and acceptability of the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine among mothers seeking maternal-child health services at Mbagathi District Hospital, Nairobi. This was a cross-sectional descriptive hospital-based study that utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study was conducted among mothers seeking maternal and child health services in Mbagathi District Hospital. A total of 354 study subjects were selected using random sampling method. Quantitative data was obtained by use of structured questionnaires that were administered to the mothers while qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed using Stata version 11.0 (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA), and NVIVO 9softwarewas used for thematic analysis of qualitative data. A total of 348 mothers were included in the study, six mothers were left out of the study due to missing values in their questionnaires.Of the respondents,100%reported having a general knowledge of STDs. The mean knowledge score on risk factors and consequences of HPV infection was 12.5 with a range of between 0 and 18. A total of 218 women (62.6% (95% CI: 57.5 – 67.8%) reported having heard of the HPV vaccine. Overall, 67.8% women said they would vaccinate their adolescent children against HPV. Some of the factors reportedto hinder utilization of the vaccine included cost, side effects and that the vaccine would lead to teenage promiscuity. In conclusion, these findings offered insight on understanding the beliefs about and identifying the barriers of HPV vaccine use; how it will influence the effectiveness of the vaccine and its potential impact in reducing cervical cancer incidence in Kenya.The study recommends the need to educate the public on HPV, Cervical Cancer, and the HPV vaccine. The government should subsidize the cost of the vaccine and as much as possible to have it accessible to the entire population through the Kenya Expanded Program on Immunization. This study will significantly contribute to the formulation of the Ministry of Health policy guidelines on cancer prevention which have not factored in HPV.
