Awareness of HIV, HPV, and Gonorrhea, and acceptance of vaccines against them, among displaced persons and their host communities in Bangladesh

Introduction New vaccines are forthcoming for various diseases, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Acceptance by populations is critical for vaccine programs. Considering the ever-increasing number of displaced people globally, given conflict and climate change, displaced populations and their host communities are key but under-studied groups. We examined the acceptance of the current Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine and hypothetical Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Gonorrhea vaccines, as well as awareness of these STIs among displaced populations and their host communities in Bangladesh. Methods The study, conducted between September 2022 and February 2023, examined four groups: forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Teknaf; the host community of Bangladeshi citizens living in Teknaf; climate internally displaced people in Dhaka; and the host community of permanent residents in Dhaka. We aimed to randomly recruit 400 households per group. Participants were asked for consent and screened for eligibility. Once consented, a survey was administered, which measured: 1) household composition, 2) demographics, 3) healthcare use, 4) perspectives on government policy and neighborhood dynamics, and 5) STI awareness and vaccine hesitancy. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results Overall 1,617 respondents were included. Disease knowledge was low - 34[95%CI(31.7,36.3)]% had heard of HPV, 50[95%CI(47,53)]% had heard of HIV, and 5[95%CI(4,6)]% had heard of gonorrhea. Awareness varied by group - with the displaced populations generally having less awareness than their host communities; and those in Dhaka having higher awareness than those in Teknaf. Covariates associated with awareness include gender, with women more likely to be aware of STIs than men; education, with those with tertiary education more likely to be aware of HPV than those with below primary education; and watching TV - with watching TV increasing awareness of HIV and HPV. Almost all respondents reported willingness to be vaccinated against each STI. Conclusions Despite the low awareness of STIs, acceptance of STI was high. This presents a promising opportunity for reducing the burden of STIs, however it calls for increasing educational activities to increase deeper knowledge on various STIs.