Views of Asian American Women towards HPV Vaccine

The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent of cervical cancer, a very potent ailment that affects women .Unfortunately it is a sexually transmitted and male partners are carriers of HPV.  Administration of HPV vaccines prior to sexual intercourse can inhibit the development of cervical cancer among women. As compared to the expensive and arduous treatment, vaccination provides a less costly and more feasible therapeutic intervention for the masses. The HPV vaccine has been adopted in both the developed and developing countries. This paper is going to examine the views of Asian American women towards the HPV vaccine.

            Despite the availability of the HPV vaccine, scores of women remain unaware of the need to get vaccinated. Studies show that small scores of Asian American women are vaccinated as compared to white women (Nguyen et al., 2009). Cervical cancer is easily detected via pap smears carried out in routine medical check-ups. A pap smear should be undertaken every 2-3 years for sexually active women.   Asians just like other minority groups, generally have limited access to healthcare.  Unfortunately, most Asian American women are not informed on the potency of the HPV.  They are well informed about common sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea etc. However, they do not acknowledge HPV among the sexually transmitted virulent agents. Consequently they do not take precautions to prevent development of cervical cancer. This explains the low rate of HPV vaccination among Asian American women.

            A cross-section study in the United States showed that illiterate and less English proficient (LEP) Asian American women are less informed about the role of HPV in causing cervical cancer. In addition, very few Asian American women appreciate the role of the HPV vaccine in averting cervical cancer. There is need to carry out extensive mass education programs on cervical cancer and the importance of the HPV vaccine. Asian Americans as well as other minority groups require special attention in order to eradicate ignorance, thereby reducing mortality arising from cervical cancer.