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Seventy Percent of U.S. Adults Support Use of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine, According to New Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus that causes genital warts and, in some cases, cervical cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a vaccine that prevents HPV in women and teenage girls. According to a new Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll, while a large minority (42%) of the population has not heard of human papillomavirus (HPV), a large majority (70%) of the population supports, or reacts favorably to the widespread use of a new vaccine to prevent it. These are some of the results of a Harris Interactive(R) online survey of 2,604 U.S. adults, conducted between July 27 and 31, 2006 for The Wall Street Journal Online's Health Industry Edition (http://www.wsj.com/health). Almost three in five (58%) adults have heard of HPV, and about half (48%) have heard or seen that there is a vaccine that can prevent this virus in teenage girls and women. While women are much more likely than men to have heard of HPV (70% vs. 47%) and of the HPV vaccine (57% vs. 38%), attitudes toward its use are not very different. Three quarters (75%) of women and 64 percent of men agree strongly or somewhat that encouraging girls and young women to get the HPV vaccine is a good way to prevent the future spread of cervical cancer. A majority (61%) of parents of girls under 18 years of age would want their daughters to get the vaccine, and only a few (6%) definitely would not, with many (32%) undecided. Additionally, 72 percent of these parents say that information about the HPV vaccine should be included in health education classes in school. However, a substantial minority of the public has reservations about use of the HPV vaccine. About one quarter of adults and parents (27% each) feels that the HPV vaccine may encourage young girls to become sexually active. A third of adults (34%) and 42 percent of parents do not believe that teenage girls should be allowed to get the vaccine without their parents' permission; and fully 44 percent (of both adults and parents) think that abstinence programs are a better way of preventing HPV than medical treatment. TABLE 1
AWARENESS OF HPV
"Have you heard of HPV or the human papillomavirus?"
Base: All Adults
Total Parent/Guardian of Men Women
Female Child Under 18
% % % %
Yes 58 65 47 70
No 42 35 53 30
TABLE 2
AWARENESS OF HPV VACCINE "Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus that causes genital warts. Some types of HPV cause cervical cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a vaccine that prevents the HPV virus in women and teenage girls. Have you heard or seen anything about this new vaccine?"
Base: All Adults
Total Parent/Guardian of Men Women
Female Child Under 18
% % % %
Yes 48 46 38 57
No 52 54 62 43
TABLE 3A
AGREE/DISAGREE WITH EIGHT STATEMENTS ABOUT HPV VACCINE - ALL ADULTS "Based on what you know or have heard, to what extent do you tend to agree or disagree with the following statements?"
Base: All Adults
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly/ Agree Some- Strongly/ Disagree Disagree Not
Somewhat Strongly what Somewhat Some-what Strongly Sure
(NET) (NET)
% % % % % % %
Encouraging
girls and
young women
to get the
HPV vaccine
is a good
way to
prevent the
future spread
of cervical
cancer. 70 40 30 7 4 3 23
Instead of
paying for
expensive
vaccines,
money should
be spent
making sure
women and
teens get
routine pap
smears - a
test that
is very
effective in
diagnosing
cervical
cancer. 45 17 28 32 21 11 23
Abstinence
programs
rather than
medical
treatment
are a better
way of
preventing
the spread
of the HPV
virus. 44 25 19 40 15 25 16
Information
about the
HPV vaccine
should be
included
in health
education
classes in
the schools. 77 51 26 6 4 2 16
A teenage
girl should
be able to
get the HPV
vaccine
without her
parents'
permission. 47 25 22 34 16 18 19
The safety of
the new HPV
vaccine has
not been
adequately
proven
among young
girls. 33 10 23 14 9 4 53
The HPV
vaccine may
encourage
young girls
to become
sexually
active. 27 7 19 53 23 30 21
The HPV
vaccine
should be
part of the
vaccination
routine for
all children
and
adolescents. 51 24 27 21 13 8 28
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3B
AGREE/DISAGREE WITH EIGHT STATEMENTS ABOUT HPV VACCINE
Responses of All Adults and Those who have Heard of HPV "Based on what you know or have heard, to what extent do you tend to agree or disagree with the following statements?"
Base: All Adults
Total Have Heard of HPV
Agree Disagree Agree Disagree
Strongly/ Strongly/ Not Strongly/ Strongly/ Not
Somewhat Somewhat Sure Somewhat Somewhat Sure
(NET) (NET) (NET) (NET)
% % % % % %
Encouraging girls
and young women
to get the HPV
vaccine is a good
way to prevent the
future spread of
cervical cancer. 70 7 23 78 7 15
Instead of paying
for expensive
vaccines, money
should be spent
making sure
women and teens
get routine pap
smears - a test
that is very
effective in
diagnosing
cervical cancer. 45 32 23 43 40 17
Abstinence programs
rather than medical
treatment are a
better way of
preventing the
spread of the
HPV virus. 44 40 16 39 51 10
Information about
the HPV vaccine
should be included
in health
education classes
in the schools. 77 6 16 83 6 11
A teenage girl
should be able
to get the HPV
vaccine without
her parents'
permission. 47 34 19 54 32 14
The safety of
the new HPV
vaccine has not
been adequately
proven among
young girls. 33 14 53 36 19 45
The HPV vaccine
may encourage
young girls to
become sexually
active. 27 53 21 24 64 13
The HPV vaccine
should be part
of the
vaccination
routine for
all children and
adolescents. 51 21 28 58 22 20
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3C
AGREE/DISAGREE WITH EIGHT STATEMENTS ABOUT HPV VACCINE
Responses of Parent/Guardian of Female Child Under 18 and by Sex "Based on what you know or have heard, to what extent do you tend to agree or disagree with the following statements?"
Base: All Adults
Parent/Guardian of Female Child Sex
Under 18 Women Men
Agree Disagree Agree Agree
Strongly/ Strongly/ Not Strongly/ Strongly/
Somewhat Somewhat Sure Somewhat Somewhat
(NET) (NET) (NET) (NET)
% % % % %
Encouraging girls and young
women to get the HPV
vaccine is a good way to
prevent the future spread
of cervical cancer. 68 9 23 75 64
Instead of paying for
expensive vaccines,
money should be spent
making sure women and
teens get routine pap
smears - a test that is
very effective in
diagnosing cervical
cancer. 49 29 23 49 40
Abstinence programs rather
than medical treatment
are a better way of
preventing the spread of
the HPV virus. 44 35 21 44 44
Information about the HPV
vaccine should be
included in health
education classes in
the schools. 72 12 16 81 73
A teenage girl should be
able to get the HPV
vaccine without her
parents' permission. 39 42 18 48 45
The safety of the new HPV
vaccine has not been
adequately proven among
young girls. 36 11 53 39 28
The HPV vaccine may
encourage young
girls to become sexually
active. 27 50 23 25 29
The HPV vaccine should be
part of the vaccination
routine for all children
and adolescents. 45 28 27 52 51
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 4
AGE AT WHICH PARENTS WANT DAUGHTERS TO RECEIVE HPV VACCINE
Responses of All Adults and Parent/Guardians of Female Child Under 18
"In order to be most effective, girls should be given the HPV vaccine before they are sexually active. If you had/have a young daughter, at what age would you want her to receive the HPV vaccine?"
Base: All Adults
Parent or
Guardian
Total of Female
Child
Under 18
% %
Would Want Daughter to Receive HPV 56 61
Vaccine at Specific Age (Net)
9 years old or younger 4 2
10 - 11 years old 7 5
12 years old 12 11
13 years old 9 11
14 years old 7 6
15 years old 7 11
16 years old 6 8
17 years old or older 5 8
Would Never Want Daughter to Receive the 7 6
HPV Vaccine (Net)
Not sure 37 32
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
Downloadable PDFs of Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health- Care Polls are posted at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_wsj.asp. Methodology Harris Interactive(R) conducted this online survey within the United States between July 27 and 31, 2006 among a national cross section of 2,604 adults, ages 18 years and over (including 369 who said they are a parent/guardian of a female child under age 18). Figures for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income and region were weighted where necessary to align with population proportions. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include: sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed); measurement error due to question wording and/or question order, deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse (including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used) and weighting. With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should be avoided. With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With pure probability samples of 2,604, one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the results have a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated. These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. About the Survey The Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll is an exclusive poll that is published in the award-winning Health Industry Edition of The Wall Street Journal Online at http://www.wsj.com/health. About The Wall Street Journal Online The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, published by Dow Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ; http://www.dowjones.com/), is the largest paid subscription news site on the Web. Launched in 1996, the Online Journal continues to attract quality subscribers that are at the top of their industries, with 761,000 subscribers world-wide as of Q1, 2006. The Online Journal provides in-depth business news and financial information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with insight and analysis, including breaking business and technology news and analysis from around the world. It draws on the Dow Jones network of nearly 1,900 business and financial news staff-the largest network of business and financial journalists in the world. The Online Journal also features exclusive content, including interactive graphics on business and world news, and online-only columns about the automotive industry, technology, personal finance and more. The Online Journal offers three industry-specific verticals: the award- winning Health, Media & Marketing and now Law. Health offers authoritative analysis, breaking news and commentary from top industry journalists. Media & Marketing is designed for professionals in the advertising, marketing, entertainment and media industries. Law is designed to provide law firms and attorneys timely information on events and trends important to the legal market. Subscribers to all also get access to the full content of the Online Journal. In 2005, the Online Journal was awarded a Codie Award for Best Online News Service for the second consecutive year, and its Health Industry Edition was awarded Best Online Science or Technology Service for the third consecutive year. In 2004, the Online Journal received an EPpy Award for Best Internet Business Service over 1 million monthly visitors. The Wall Street Journal Online network includes CareerJournal.com, OpinionJournal.com, StartupJournal.com, RealEstateJournal.com and CollegeJournal.com. About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what could conceivably be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online, visit http://go.hpolsurveys.com/Health. Press Contacts: Jennifer Cummings Harris Interactive 585-214-7720 Christine Mohan Dow Jones & Company 212-416-2114Website: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/ Website: http://www.dowjones.com/ Website: http://go.hpolsurveys.com/Health Website: http://www.wsj.com/health |
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