Table 5.
Barriers to Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake
| Barrier (s) | Frequency (n) | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Safety/long-term side effects of the vaccine | 22 | 10.5 |
| 2. Cost/vaccine not covered by health insurance | 32 | 15.2 |
| 3. Vaccine is painful/discomfort with injection | 13 | 6.2 |
| 4. Vaccine coverage (not preventing all HPV strains or all STIs) | 10 | 4.8 |
| 5. Not at risk or low risk for HPV | 24 | 11.4 |
| 6. Not a priority | 25 | 11.9 |
| 7. Access to health care provider | 8 | 3.8 |
| 8. Embarrassed, self-conscious, or uncomfortable talking to health care provider | 7 | 3.3 |
| 9. Lack of information and knowledge about HPV or HPV vaccine | 34 | 16.2 |
| 10. Parental influence in decision-making process (i.e., mother/parents advised not to obtain the vaccine) | 23 | 11.0 |
| 11. Have already been diagnosed with HPV | 7 | 3.3 |
| 12. Never had sexual intercourse | 13 | 6.2 |
| 13. Current contraception practices are sufficient for protection against HPV | 3 | 1.4 |
| 14. Outside the recommended age group | 14 | 6.7 |
| 15. Other | 8 | 3.8 |
| 16. Not applicable, I already got the vaccine | 104 | 49.5 |
Note: N = 210.
STI, sexually transmitted infection