Young Deaf Adults' Knowledge of HPV and Cancer Prevention

Authors: Arielle H. Spellun, Christopher J. Moreland, and Poorna Kushalnagar

Published in: Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (2019)

This study investigates the disparities in knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine between young deaf adults who use American Sign Language (ASL) and their hearing peers. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus known to cause cervical, anal, penile, and oral cancers, all of which are preventable through vaccination.

The authors used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS-ASL) to assess knowledge gaps, revealing that only 58% of deaf participants were aware of HPV, compared to 84% of hearing participants. The study highlights significant disparities, with deaf participants less likely to know about the HPV vaccine and its effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer.

Key Findings:

• HPV Awareness: Only 58% of deaf participants had heard of HPV, compared to 84% of hearing participants.

• Cancer Risk Knowledge: Deaf participants were significantly less aware of HPV’s link to cervical cancer compared to hearing participants (46.7% vs. 77.9%).

• Vaccine Knowledge: Deaf participants were less likely to know about the HPV vaccine's ability to prevent cervical cancer, with 31.9% believing it was effective, compared to 49% of hearing participants.

These results underscore the need for more accessible, ASL-based health education to improve health literacy and HPV vaccination rates among the deaf population. The authors suggest that tailored educational interventions could reduce disparities and enhance preventive care for deaf individuals.