HPV vaccination coverage and disparities among three populations at increased risk for HIV

Background: Rates of cervical, oropharynx, anal, and other cancers associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV) continue to rise in the United States. Despite data on the vaccine's efficacy to reduce HPV and associated cancers, uptake continues to be low among all populations. This is especially troubling among those who may be at increased behavioral risk for HIV infection. Few studies have documented differences in HPV vaccination among these groups. Methods: Between 2012-2014, data were collected among three populations at increased risk for HIV using the New Orleans arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system. Females from the IDU and HET cycles, and males from the MSM cycle who met on the ACIP guidelines were included in this analysis. Results: Of the 358 participants analyzed, 15.1% received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. Among women, age was negatively associated with HPV vaccine (F=5.33, P=0.0224). African American women were also less likely to receive the HPV vaccine compared to other racial/ethnic groups (P=0.0292). Among MSM, HPV vaccine uptake was associated with having been tested for a STD in the past 12 months (P=0.0185) and having ever received a hepatitis vaccine (P=0.0042). Conclusions: Increasing vaccination coverage among those eligible is necessary to aid in lowering the prevalence of cancers associated with HPV. These results highlight the need for more research to expand our understanding of structural issues hindering populations at risk for HIV infection who are eligible for the HPV vaccination from receiving it.