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One-Third of U.S. Adults Unaware of HPV, Study Finds

Low recognition of HPV’s oral cancer link threatens efforts to boost vaccination rates in regions where awareness is weakest.

This 2015 photo shows a pediatrician preparing a shot of the HPV vaccine for a patient in Cranston, Rhode Island.
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HPV-associated cancer cases per 100,000 residents
Preteens should get the first dose of the HPV vaccine at 11 or 12, the CDC recommends.

Overview

  • The cross-sectional JAMA Oncology analysis of 22,344 HINTS respondents found that 34.3% of U.S. adults had never heard of HPV and 37.6% were unaware of its vaccine.
  • Among adults who knew of HPV, 70.8% did not recognize its link to oral cancer, and 28.3% were unaware of its connection to cervical cancer.
  • Awareness gaps were most pronounced in Midwestern and Southern states, where more than 40% of adults lacked knowledge of HPV in seven states and of the vaccine in 13 states.
  • In 45 states and the District of Columbia, over 60% of those aware of HPV did not know it could cause oral cancer, underscoring uneven public understanding of the virus’s broader risks.
  • Study authors and public-health experts warn that targeted education, provider engagement and catch-up immunization efforts are needed to translate decades of vaccine efficacy into equitable cancer prevention.