Aspects that influence guardians' decisions about HPV-vaccination

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world and there are over 100 different varieties. Several of the varieties can lead to cancer. Although there are vaccines available, the vaccine coverage varies in the providing countries. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe aspects that make guardians choose to refrain from giving their children HPV-vaccines. Method: This Literature study is based on nine qualitative articles published between 2010 and 2020 and the articles were found in Cinahl and PubMed. Results: Guardians who refrained from the HPV-vaccine to their adolescents mentioned varied aspects. Some guardians were concerned about side effects of the vaccine and others mention a lack of knowledge and information about HPV and the vaccine. Guardians expressed concerns about vaccinating against sexually transmitted infections with their adolescents. A varied confidence in health care staff was mentioned by the guardians and they sought information from more unreliable sources such as stories from friends and family or the internet. The fact that HPV-vaccine only was provided to girls, in many of the countries, was a reason for the guardian’s skepticism. Conclusion: The result showed that there are various aspects that make guardians refrain from HPV-vaccine. Some reasons are more common in certain countries. Today's society is multicultural, which leads to a need for more studies to be done from an international perspective. Being able to meet the guardian’s various needs for information about HPV-vaccine is essential to get a higher HPV-vaccine coverage in the world.