Uptake of HPV Vaccine, Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and HPV Vaccine among Caregivers in Tana River County, Kenya

The global target for eliminating cervical cancer by 2030 entails achieving 90% HPV vaccination coverage among girls under 15. Despite the established safety, effectiveness, and cost efficiency of the HPV vaccine, uptake remains suboptimal in many regions, including Tana River County, Kenya, contributing to the persistent cervical cancer risk. This study assessed knowledge of cervical cancer, HPV, and HPV vaccine, along with vaccine uptake in Tana River County, using a community-based descriptive cross-sectional survey design targeting 27,392 caregivers of girls aged 9-14 years. A sample size of 378 was determined using the Fisher et al. (1998) formula, and stratified random sampling technique employed across the three sub-counties. A pre-test study was conducted in Tana River County involving 38 community health volunteers with daughters aged 9-14 years. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data and results presented using tables. The results recorded HPV uptake of 56.9%. Significant knowledge gaps were revealed with many respondents mistakenly viewing eating khat (61.6%), poor hygiene (73.4%), chronic UTIs (85.6%), and having an IUD (60.8%) as risk factors for cervical cancer. Only 47.9% knew smoking is a risk factor and 31.1% knew HPV affects both men and women. Only 36.4% correctly identified cervical cancer symptoms, 44.0% knew it is curable and 47.9% were unaware that the HPV vaccine is most effective before sexual debut. The study concluded knowledge gaps persist on risk factors, symptoms, curability of cervical cancer, and the effectiveness of vaccination before sexual debut. recommends that the Tana River County Department of Health strengthen public health messaging to correct misconceptions about non-risk factors, emphasize the symptoms and curability of cervical cancer, and highlight the benefits of vaccinating girls before they become sexually active.