Awareness, attitudes and vaccination intentions regarding cervical cancer and HPV among healthcare workers

Background: Cervical cancer, primarily caused by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18, remains a significant global health issue despite being preventable. While vaccination and screening can significantly reduce its burden, low awareness and insufficient vaccination rates persist. Although advancements in prevention strategies are available, the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals toward HPV and cervical cancer prevention remain inconsistent, revealing a critical gap in research and practice. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers toward cervical cancer and HPV, with a focus to detect prevention efforts. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted at Gaziantep University Hospital between 12 November and 06 December 2024. Data were collected using a 55-item validated questionnaire, which included the Cervical Cancer Knowledge Scale and HPV Knowledge Scale. Results: A total of 324 participants, including doctors, nurses and medical secretaries, completed the survey. The mean cervical cancer knowledge score among participants was 6.02 (SD (Standard Deviation) = 2.19). Awareness scores were significantly different across age groups (p < 0.001) and professions (p < 0.001), with physicians scoring higher than nurses and medical secretaries. Vaccinated individuals had significantly higher knowledge scores compared to unvaccinated individuals (p = 0.004). Only 4.1% of participants were vaccinated, and just 1.2% planned to vaccinate their sons, compared to 17.9% for daughters (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for targeted training programs focusing on HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening guidelines, and patient communication strategies to bridge the knowledge gap and enhance the role of healthcare workers especially for medical secretaries and nurses in cervical cancer prevention.