Assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices towards HPV vaccination among male healthcare professionals and students in Delhi National Capital Region: A mixed-method study

Introduction Cervical cancer poses a significant health risk to women globally and in India. While the burden of HPV (Human papillomavirus)-related infections among Indian women is well-documented, there is a need to understand HPV related dynamics among Indian men as well as an influencing factor in male reproductive health. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to HPV vaccination among male healthcare professionals in India. Methods A mixed-method survey was conducted from March 2022 to April 2023 among young male healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds across public and private healthcare settings in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) region of India. In the quantitative arm, systematic random sampling was employed to recruit participants, with 299 complete responses recorded. For the qualitative arm, 37 participants were interviewed to gain an in-depth understanding of their perceptions of HPV infection and vaccination. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (SPSS Version 30.0), and qualitative data analysis was done using manual transcription method employing the Grounded Theory Approach (GTA). Results The mean age of the participants in the quantitative arm was 24.6 years. The overall knowledge score towards HPV vaccination was 59%, with an attitude score of 89%. Although 83.9% of participants were willing to promote HPV vaccination among men in India, only 11.4% got vaccinated for HPV. The engagement in unsafe sexual practices was significantly associated with age (p-0.006), occupation (p-0.004), education (p < 0.001), and marital status of the participants (p-0.003). A significant association was also observed between marital status and the willingness to engage in HPV-related awareness within their personal networks (p < 0.001). In the qualitative arm, the mean age was 32.4 ± 6.2 years. Four themes were generated after thematic analysis:1) HPV seen as female-specific, 2) Awareness not translating into action, 3) Systemic silence and missed opportunities, and 4) Cost-consciousness despite awareness. Out of 37 interviewees, 27% had misconceptions towards HPV, 18.9% felt a lack of male-focused HPV vaccination drive, and 29.7% expressed affordability concerns towards getting HPV vaccination due to the high vaccine cost. Conclusion This study's findings lay the groundwork for more extensive research to understand the barriers and facilitators to HPV vaccination among men. Such research could inform targeted strategies to improve vaccination rates, reducing the burden of preventable HPV-related diseases thereby improving male reproductive health.