HPV Vaccine Acceptability by Latino Parents: A Comparison of U.S. and Salvadoran Populations

Study Objective: To characterize and compare acceptability of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination by Latino parents at an urban medical center in the United States and a community hospital in El Salvador. Design: After reading an information sheet on HPV, 148 subjects at Bellevue Hospital in New York City and 160 subjects at Hospital Nacional de Santa Gertrudis in San Vicente, El Salvador, completed a survey. Results were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and Student's t-tests. Results and Conclusions: Parental acceptance of HPV vaccination was higher in a sample of Salvadoran subjects than in a sample of U.S. Latinas (P < 0.001 for daughters and sons). Reasons for objecting to HPV vaccination differ in the two locations. There are important differences between Salvadoran and U.S. subjects. Salvadorans are more accepting of HPV vaccination, and parental acceptance is unlikely to be a barrier to widespread vaccination in El Salvador. Targeted educational materials are needed in both locations.