Table 3.
Total Sample Use of Messages (n = 355)
| Survey Version /Message Number | Message | Would you use this message in practice? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes n (%)* |
No n (%)* |
Unsure n (%)* |
||
| A1. | “HPV vaccine is very important because it prevents cancer. I want your child to be protected from cancer. That’s why I’m recommending that your daughter/son receive the first dose of the HPV vaccine today.” | 96 (85.7) | 5 (4.5) | 11 (9.8) |
| A2. | “We’re vaccinating today so your child will have the best protection possible long before the start of any kind of sexual activity. We vaccinate people well before they are exposed to an infection, as is the case with measles and the other recommended childhood vaccines. Similarly, we want to vaccinate children well before they get exposed to HPV.” | 99 (89.2) | 5 (4.5) | 7 (6.3) |
| A3. | “HPV vaccine has been carefully studied by medical and scientific experts. HPV vaccine has been shown to be very effective and very safe. Like other shots, most side effects are mild, primarily pain or redness in the arm. This should go away quickly, and HPV vaccine has not been associated with any long-term side effects. Since 2006, about 57 million doses of HPV vaccine have been distributed in the U.S., and in the years of HPV vaccine safety studies and monitoring, no serious safety concerns have been identified.” | 99 (87.6) | 7 (6.2) | 7 (6.2) |
| B1. | “HPV can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women, cancer of the penis in men, and cancers of the anus and the mouth or throat in both women and men. There are about 26,000 of these cancers each year - and most could be prevented with HPV vaccine. There are also many more precancerous conditions requiring treatment that can have lasting effects.” | 109 (90.8) | 4 (3.3) | 7 (5.8) |
| B2. | “Research has shown that getting the HPV vaccine does not make kids more likely to be sexually active or start having sex at a younger age.” | 102 (85.0) | 9 (7.5) | 9 (7.5) |
| B3. | “In clinical trials of boys and girls, the vaccine was shown to be extremely effective. In addition, studies in the U.S. and other countries that have introduced HPV vaccine have shown a significant reduction in infections caused by the HPV types targeted by the vaccine.” | 110 (90.9) | 5 (4.1) | 6 (5.0) |
| C1. | “HPV is so common that almost everyone will be infected at some point. It is estimated that 79 million Americans are currently infected with 14 million new HPV infections each year. Most people infected will never know. So even if your son/daughter waits until marriage to have sex, or only has one partner in the future, he/she could still be exposed if their partner has been exposed.” | 101 (86.3) | 3 (2.6) | 13 (11.1) |
| C2. | “I strongly believe in the importance of this cancer-preventing vaccine, and I have given HPV vaccine to my son/daughter/grandchild/niece/nephew/friend’s children. Experts (like the American Academy of Pediatrics, cancer doctors, and the CDC) also agree that this vaccine is very important for your child.” | 92 (78.6) | 13 (11.1) | 12 (10.3) |
| C3. | “I want to make sure that your son/daughter receives all 3 shots of HPV vaccine to give them the best possible protection from cancer caused by HPV. Please make sure to make appointments on the way out, and put those appointments on your calendar before you leave the office today!” | 109 (93.2) | 4 (3.4) | 4 (3.4) |
*
Responses may not sum to 100% due to missing data.