Human papillomavirus vaccination in the United States: Uneven uptake by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation

Abstract

Objectives. To assess national differences in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among young adults in the United States by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Methods.We tested group differences in initiation and completion of the HPV vaccine series (i.e., 3 doses) by Rao-Scott 2 test among 6444 respondents aged 18 to 30 years from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey. Results. Among men, 5% reported receiving the HPV vaccine, with no differences in uptake by race/ethnicity or sexual orientation. By contrast, 30% of the women reported receiving the HPV vaccine, with women of color having lower odds of initiating and completing the vaccine series compared with White women. Conclusions. In the United States, HPV vaccine rates are lagging in men and show disparities among women. Increasing HPV vaccine uptake and series completion among women of color and all men may provide considerable long-term public health benefits.