TY - JOUR ID - 90233 TI - University Students’ Knowledge about the Relation between Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Head and Neck and Oral Cancers JO - Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention JA - APJCP LA - en SN - 1513-7368 AU - Vieira, Valquiria Kulig AU - Wendt, Guilherme Welter AU - Ferreto, Lirane Elize Defante AU - Pascotto, Claudicéia Risso AU - Lucio, Léia Carolina AD - Graduate Program in Applied Health Sciences, State University of Western Paraná (UNIOESTE), Francisco Beltrão, Brazil. AD - Center for Health Sciences, State University of Western Paraná (UNIOESTE), Francisco Beltrão, Brazil. AD - Graduate Program in Applied Health Sciences, State University of Western Paraná (UNIOESTE), Francisco Beltrão, Brazil. Y1 - 2022 PY - 2022 VL - 23 IS - 8 SP - 2719 EP - 2726 KW - Knowledge KW - head and neck neoplasms KW - Mouth Neoplasms KW - HPV KW - sexually transmitted diseases DO - 10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.8.2719 N2 - Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. It affects people regardless of gender and age, causing genital warts and cancer. Objective: To evaluate university students’ knowledge of HPV and its relationship with head and neck and oral cancers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire administered to undergraduate students at a public university (n=335). Results: In total, 69.3% of the participants were unaware of the relationship between HPV and head and neck cancers and 34.6% claimed that HPV may not cause oral cancer.  The chances of knowing about the relationship of HPV with head and neck cancers were significant for participants who knew that HPV could be asymptomatic (OR = 9.9; p = 0.029), that might cause genital warts in men (OR = 4.0; p = 0.015), and those aged 24 years or older (OR = 1.9; p = 0.021). However, undergraduate students in the field of health and medicine (OR = 0.419; p = 0.002), who had sex at least twice a week (OR = 0.471; p = 0.017), and were unaware of the target public for the HPV vaccine (OR: 0.222, p<0.001) were less likely to know about the relationship. Students who knew of the relationship between HPV and female (OR = 3.6; p = 0.010) and male genital warts (OR = 3.0; p = 0.005) or were immunized (OR = 1.8; p = 0.020) were more likely to understand the viral interaction with oral cancer. Those who were unaware of the population eligible for HPV vaccine (OR = 0.493; p = 0.017) also showed gaps in their knowledge of this relationship. Conclusion: Our findings showed that there were limitations in the knowledge about HPV, its vaccine, and its relationship with head and neck and oral cancers.  UR - https://journal.waocp.org/article_90233.html L1 - https://journal.waocp.org/article_90233_1c936d84b30917a39bc5de843d8c4979.pdf ER -