The research will be presented today [Thursday 7 July] at the
Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Academic Primary
Care, hosted this year by the Academic Unit of Primary Health
Care, University of Bristol. The HPV vaccination programme,
introduced in the UK in 2008, uses HPV vaccine that is effective
against the two most common high risk HPV types (16 and 18), and
offers 70 per cent protection against cervical cancer. However,
vaccinated girls will still need to attend cervical screening in
the future to ensure protection against cervical cancer caused
by high risk HPV types not included in the vaccine. Dr Alison
Clements and colleagues interviewed parents and vaccination-aged
girls about their understanding of the HPV vaccination in
relation to vaccine acceptance, and potential future cervical
cancer screening behaviour. They found a lack of clarity amongst
both parents and girls about the link between the HPV vaccine
and the need for future cervical screening. In some cases
parental consent for thei