Turkish mothers' knowledge and attitude about HPV vaccine.

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of Turkish mothers about cervix cancer,HPV infection and vaccination.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted the mothers with children aged under 18 years who applied pediatric outpatient clinic.Research data were collected using a face-to-face survey includes sociodemographic characteristics of patients and mothers' knowledge level and attitude about the vaccination for HPV and cervical cancer.

Results: The rate of mothers who stated that they knew the causes of cervical cancer was 30.3%. Of the 71.5% mothers did not know whether there was a vaccine that protects against cervical cancer.Of the mothers who stated to have heard about the HPV vaccine, 39.2% said that the HPV vaccine is received at 9 years and above, 35.7% said that it could be given to both genders, and 75% knew that the vaccine is not reimbursed. Educational status (p < 0.001), working as a healthcare worker (p < 0.001) and the level of income (p < 0.001), were significantly correlated with the awareness of the causes of cervical cancer in a positive direction. None of the participants vaccinated their child, 91.5% ask for information about HPV and 67.3% stated that they might consider vaccination.

Conclusions: The development of vaccines against HPV has significantly changed the approach used in the treatment of cervical cancer. Healthcare professionals have a great responsibility to inform the public about the HPV vaccine.

Practice Implications: Healthcare providers can use the results of this study to identify parents at risk for vaccine hesitancy and initiate individualized education to promote on-time childhood vaccination.