Awareness of HPV, HPV vaccine and HPV-associated cancers among Arab Americans

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-8-2025

Publication Title

Sci Rep

Keywords

Arab american; Awareness; Cancer; HPV; HPV-associated cancers; Human papillomavirus; Middle eastern and north african (MENA)

Abstract

We evaluated the awareness of HPV, HPV vaccine and HPV-associated cancers among Arab Americans. This was a cross-sectional study conducted between March and July 2023 among self-identifying Arab Americans residing in Southeast Michigan (n = 295). Adjusted multivariable logistic regression models estimated the associations between HPV, the vaccine and HPV-associated cancers (cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, penile, vaginal, and vulvar) awareness and sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Awareness of HPV-associated cancers were as follows: cervical (50.5%), vaginal (48.4%), vulvar (42.4%), penile (41.5%), anal (41.5%), and oropharyngeal (37.9%) cancers. In the multivariable logistic regression models, compared to females, males had lower odds of being aware that HPV can cause cervical (aOR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.20–0.73), anal (aOR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.26–0.95), vaginal (aOR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.21–0.76), and vulvar (aOR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.27–0.97) cancers. Similarly, respondents with some college/associate degree had lower odds of being aware that HPV can cause cervical (aOR = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.14–0.69), anal (aOR = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.14–0.70), oropharyngeal (aOR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.15–0.80), penile (aOR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.14–0.71), vaginal (aOR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.14–0.66), and vulvar (aOR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.15–0.75) cancers compared to those with college degrees. This underscores the necessity for targeted interventions to improve awareness among this population.

PubMed ID

41361509

ePublication

ePub ahead of print

Volume

16

Issue

1

First Page

1897

Last Page

1897

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