Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of the Arabic speaking community in Australia towards the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a sexually transmitted disease, and both women and men are rapidly exposed to it after the onset of sexual intercourse. Oncogenic HPV can cause cervical, anogenital, and head and neck cancers. HPV vaccination is the most effective method of preventing HPV infection. Australia was the first country globally to implement a fully funded population-based national vaccination program against HPV, delivered primarily through schools. Since 2007 the HPV vaccine has been offered routinely to girls in school aged 12-13 years and, from 2013, to similarly aged boys.

Little is known about the acceptability of HPV vaccine among parents of adolescents from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia. There is evidence that refugees and immigrants of CALD backgrounds have been inadequately immunised upon arrival to Australia. Australia has a sizeable population of those with CALD backgrounds including immigrants coming from a number of Arabic speaking countries. Arabic is the third most popular language spoken at home in Australia, after English and Mandarin, and is the second most frequently spoken language after English in South Western Sydney. There are gaps in understanding the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of Australian immigrants of Arabic background towards HPV vaccine. The aims of this thesis were to: a) understand these gaps, and b) identify potential solutions to address these gaps.

To achieve these research aims, I have used two methodologies: a) a systematic review to synthesise published data on immigrant parents’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards HPV vaccination, and b) qualitative semi-structured interviews involving immigrant parents of adolescents of Arabic background living in NSW.