Knowledge of human papillomavirus and vaccination attitudes among female university students in Turkey: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to examine the relationships between human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge, HPV literacy, and health beliefs among female university students within the framework of the health belief model. The cross-sectional study was conducted on the campus of Artvin Çoruh University in Türkiye. A total of 645 female undergraduate students voluntarily participated in face-to-face surveys. While 68.2% of the participants reported having prior awareness of HPV, only 2.0% had received the HPV vaccine. Insufficient knowledge about the vaccine was identified as the primary barrier to vaccination. Significant positive relationships were observed among HPV knowledge, HPV literacy, and health belief scores; higher levels of knowledge and literacy were associated with stronger health beliefs and greater vaccination intention. We conclude that HPV knowledge, literacy, and health beliefs among female university students in Turkey are insufficient, while HPV vaccination uptake is low, warranting immediate remediation actions.