Table 2.
Common questions from caregivers
| HPV | HPV vaccine |
|---|---|
| Causes and natural history | Vaccine implementation |
| • Where do people get HPV from? | • How and where will the vaccine be administered to girls? |
| • Is HPV hereditary? | • Will it be given to all girls in Kenya? |
| • Does HPV infect bodily fluids or blood? | • What other countries have implemented the vaccine? |
| • Does HPV only travel to the cervix (or does it affect other organs)? | |
| • What does HPV do to men? | Vaccine benefits & alternatives |
| • How will it help us? | |
| HPV epidemiology | • Is there another way of preventing cervical cancer? |
| • Does HPV mostly affect women? | |
| • If HPV cannot be seen, how do we know that most people have it at some point? | Vaccine safety & side effects |
| • Has the vaccine been tested? | |
| • Is it being tested on our children? | |
| Modes of transmission | • What are the side effects of this vaccine? |
| • Is it acquired through sexual intercourse? | • Does the vaccine affect future fertility? |
| • Are there other (non-sexual) ways you can get it? | |
| • Do men and women transmit HPV to each other? | Vaccine effectiveness |
| • Will girls be prevented from cervical cancer after they are vaccinated? | |
| Symptoms and effects on the body | • What is the duration of protection? |
| • What are the signs and symptoms of HPV? | • Will the vaccine work if it’s given to a girl who already has cervical cancer? |
| • How long does it take for them to appear? | • Will it still help if a girl misses a dose? |
| • How does one know if they are infected? | |
| • Could HPV turn into HIV? | Age & gender concerns |
| • Does HPV cause herpes? | • Why is it administered to girls aged 9–12 years, when cancer affects women (older)? |
| • Can HPV prevent a woman from getting pregnant, or having a healthy pregnancy? | • If most everyone has HPV then why are only children vaccinated and not adults? Why not boys? |
| • Does it cause other cancers or problems (e.g., prostate cancer in men)? | • Can the vaccine be given to girls aged 9–12 if they haven’t started monthly periods? |