Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Infection and HPV Vaccination: Assessing the Level of Knowledge among Students of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu Mures, Romania

Introduction: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection, a cause in the development of cervical cancer, remains a topic of great interest. About 80% of sexually active women are at risk of acquiring an HPV infection at some point in life, the peak incidence of infection having been identified in young women. The aim of the study was to assess medical students’ knowledge and attitudes about sexually transmitted diseases, HPV infection, HPV vaccinations, and the students’ sexual behaviour. Material and method: A transversal study was conducted by applying a questionnaire to students on the first and 6th year of school at the Faculty of Medicine of Tirgu Mures University, Romania. Results: The study resulted in 522 questionnaires fully completed. The percentages of students who have heard about HPV were 82.1% from the first year and 99.1% from the 6th year of medicine school, but the level of knowledge was different: 62% of senior students had a good or very good level of knowledge, whereas 55.1% of first year students, had little knowledge on the topic. About 75% of 6th year students would have their child vaccinated against HPV, compared with only 52.4% of first year students (p <0.001). Conclusions: The level of knowledge about HPV infection among students in their first year of medicine school is rather low, significantly lower compared to year 6th year students, which suggests acquiring some basic information in this area since the first year of college or even high school.