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Implementing Innovative and Strategic Approaches to Prevent and Mitigate the Deleterious Effects of HPV across the Lifespan of Hispanics of Mexican origin

The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US, and persistent infection with some HPV strains elevates the risk of developing multiple types of cancer. An HPV vaccine exists that protects against infection and is a critical factor in cancer prevention, yet vaccination rates remain well below national targets and gender and ethnic health disparities exist regarding vaccine uptake, cancer incidence, and mortality. Hispanics are adversely affected by numerous barriers known to contribute to cancer health disparities, including poor health conditions and healthcare access, high rates of uninsured individuals, low rates of screening for multiple types of cancer, and other measures of deficient quality of care. Despite these barriers, adolescents in El Paso, (a Hispanic-majority border county) have the highest rate of first-dose HPV vaccine uptake in Texas, and one of the highest in the country (Nehme et al., 2017). These data suggest a complex interplay of potential barriers and facilitators regarding HPV vaccination in the predominately Mexican origin population, supporting the idea that El Paso may provide a critical ecosystem for studying the interaction of facilitators and barriers.  This project will address specific and unknown barriers, augment facilitators of vaccine uptake, and characterize the diverse sociocultural environment and influences that impact decision-making in the region with the capacity of replicability to regions and populations with similar contexts.

The objective of this behavioral research project is to assess HPV-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices in a Hispanic-majority community sample, identify barriers and facilitators of vaccine uptake and utilize targeted interventions to improve vaccination, screening, and health literacy.

Our central hypothesis is that gaining a better understanding of unique barriers and facilitators that contribute to vaccination and vaccine completion rates, will impact cancer risk and incidence in this underserved population, and allow us to develop interventions to strategically address gaps in knowledge.

Kirken R (PD),  Moya EM (Project Lead/PI),  Martinez J (ESI Candidate).  HPV in the Context of Men’s Health Disparities. Awarded $220,988 (Sept. 01, 2021 – Feb. 28, 2023). Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-21-071), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Parent Project Number: 2U54MD007592-26; Sub-Project ID: 8321) – National Institutes of Health (NIH).

For more information please contact our  Program Manager/Coordinator Jessica Ayala at:   jayala8@utep.edu or 915 747 6313

This work is supported by Grant 2U54MD007592 from the National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).