HPV infection and vaccination: a cross-sectional study of knowledge, perception, and attitude to vaccine uptake among university students in Qatar

Overall, 77.7% of the student population had some-to-good levels of knowledge about HPV-related infection, cancer, and vaccination. There are gaps in the student population's understanding and knowledge about HPV. Increasing knowledge can be key toward shared decision-making for HPV vaccination among eligible populations. Targeted public health campaigns and integration into childhood vaccination programs should be critical first steps, especially as most of the surveyed students had a positive outlook on getting vaccinated. Healthcare professionals should be incentivized to increase their HPV knowledge and communication skills, while policymakers can work toward easing barriers in integrating HPV vaccinations in the immunization schedule and encouraging overall HPV vaccination uptake.