Table 2. Perceived susceptibility and concerns about HPV and the HPV vaccine.

Perceived Susceptibility and Concerns	% agree or strongly agree
	Females	Males
I am at risk for getting HPVa	21.9%	24.8%
I am likely to contract the HPV virus in my lifetimeb	21.9%	18.1%
HPV would be a severe threat to my healtha	64.1%	54.3%**
HPV would be a serious threat to my sex lifea	69.6%	66.7%
HPV would make it difficult to find a long-term partnera	64.3%	65.7%
I would tell my sexual partner if I had HPVa	94.9%	87.6%*
If I had HPV I would be at risk for transmitting it to others	68.0%	64.8%
I would need the HPV vaccine if I had a high number of sexual partnersa	70.1%	57.2%**
I would need the HPV vaccine if I had multiple sexual partnersa	73.7%	62.9%**
I would need the HPV vaccine if I had a family history of cervical cancera	60.3%	N/A
I would need the HPV vaccine if I regularly used a condom when engaging in sexual activity	57.1%	47.6%**
I would need the HPV vaccine if I engaged in sexual activity with a same sex partner	59.1%	46.7%**
I would need the HPV vaccine if I had a family history of liver cancera	23.0%	21.9%
I would need the HPV vaccine if I had a steady long term partnera	57.5%	34.3%***
I would need the HPV vaccine if I smokeda	26.8%	31.4%
I would need the HPV vaccine if I engaged in sexual activity with a partner of the opposite sex	59.1%	70.5%**
I would need the HPV vaccine if I engage in unprotected sexual activity	53.6%	61.9%**
The HPV vaccine has significant side effectsb	21.4%	17.1%
The HPV vaccine was thoroughly testedb	45.3%	51.4%*
The HPV vaccine is likely to cause health problemsb	12.0%	11.4%
I could get HPV from the vaccinea	16.5%	20.9%*
I am concerned my family would find out if I got the HPV vaccinea	24.9%	26.7%
I am concerned my friends would find out if I got the HPV vaccinea	24.1%	25.7%
The HPV vaccine is an effective way to prevent HPV infection	59.0%	50.5%**
Overall, the HPV vaccine is safeb	56.8%	53.3%

^aSurvey item from Katz, Krieger, Roberto [20];

^bSurvey item from Marchand, Glenn, Bastani [21];

* = p < .05;

** = p < .01;

*** = p < .001