Peer education on HPV: impact on health sciences students’ knowledge, awareness, and concern

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a structured peer education program—delivered by nine intern nursing students as part of their Gynecology Nursing clinical rotation—on knowledge, awareness, and anxiety levels regarding HPV among health sciences students. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed. The study was conducted between April 15 and May 15, 2024, at the Faculty of Health Sciences of Istanbul Aydın University with 127 fourth-year health sciences students who received the peer education training. The peer education program was delivered by nine intern nursing students as part of their Gynecology Nursing clinical rotation. Prior to implementation, the peer educators completed a structured training program based on the World Health Organization’s (2024) HPV guidelines, covering HPV definition, transmission routes, health consequences, prevention methods, and vaccination. Training also included communication and group facilitation skills. Educational brochures and materials were developed as part of the intervention. Following the peer education intervention, students’ HPV-related knowledge and awareness levels increased significantly. An increase was observed in health and exclusion concern scores after the training, which was interpreted as being associated with increased awareness and risk perception. Additionally, higher HPV vaccine knowledge was associated with lower anxiety levels. The absence of a control group limits the causal interpretation of the findings. Structured peer education delivered by intern nursing students is an effective approach for improving HPV-related knowledge and awareness while reducing anxiety among health sciences students. Future studies employing controlled designs with larger and more diverse samples are recommended to strengthen the validity and generalizability of the findings. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that can lead to serious health problems like cervical cancer. Even though effective vaccines are available, many university students—especially those studying health sciences—still lack enough knowledge and awareness about HPV and how to prevent it. This study looked at whether a peer education program, where trained nursing students taught their classmates about HPV, could improve students’ knowledge, awareness, and reduce their anxiety about the virus. A total of 127 health sciences students participated. Before the training, they completed surveys to assess their HPV knowledge, awareness, and related concerns. Then, they received a one-hour classroom session from trained peer educators who had completed structured training based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The same surveys were given again right after the training and one month later. The results showed that students’ knowledge and awareness significantly improved after the training and remained high even one month later. Interestingly, while awareness increased, students’ anxiety related to HPV also rose—indicating a greater understanding of the virus's risks. However, students with better vaccine knowledge tended to feel less worried. This study shows that peer education is an effective way to increase awareness and knowledge about HPV among health sciences students. These future health professionals can play a key role in spreading accurate information and encouraging HPV prevention in the wider community. More studies with larger groups and different universities are recommended to confirm these results.