Abstract

Актуальність: Human papillomavirus remains one of the most common sexually transmitted viral infections worldwide, with the majority of sexually active individuals facing a significant risk of acquiring HPV infection of one type or another throughout their lifetime. According to World Health Organization estimates, in 2019, HPV caused approximately 620,000 cancer cases in women and 70,000 cancer cases in men. Although HPV has traditionally been most commonly associated with cervical cancer in women, recent epidemiological data indicate a rising incidence of HPV-associated head and neck neoplasms.

Objective: To assess the level of public awareness in Ukraine regarding human papillomavirus and HPV vaccination, and to identify key factors influencing citizens’ knowledge in these areas.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a questionnaire survey among 469 respondents from all regions of Ukraine aged 18 years and older. Data collection period lasted from October 2024 to July 2025. The questionnaire included three blocks: socio-demographic characteristics, HPV knowledge assessment, and vaccination status. An integral awareness index was calculated and regional analysis was performed using composite indices. Statistical analysis was conducted in Python 3.9 environment using parametric and non-parametric methods.

Results: High level of HPV awareness was demonstrated by 58.6% of respondents, however vaccination rate was only 11.3%, which is 8 times lower than WHO recommended targets. The highest knowledge about HPV-cervical cancer association was found in 93.6% of participants, while awareness about oropharyngeal cancer was 70.6%. Medical education proved to be the strongest predictor of high awareness (74.6% vs 51.7% among those without medical education, p<0.001). Significant regional differences were identified: highest awareness levels were observed in Western (60.7%) and Central (59.8%) regions, lowest in Southern region (44.7%). Paradoxically, the most popular internet information sources (55.9% users) had negative impact on knowledge quality (-1.4%), while less popular mass media and healthcare workers demonstrated highest effectiveness (+7.4% and +6.1% respectively).

Conclusions: A critical gap was identified between relatively high public awareness about HPV and extremely low vaccination rates. Results justify the need for implementing a national HPV vaccination program in Ukraine considering regional specificities, improving quality of information resources, and expanding the role of healthcare workers in educational activities.

Keywords: human papillomavirus, HPV, vaccination, public awareness, oropharyngeal cancer, oropharynx, cervical cancer, public health, prevention.