HPV prevalence and knowledge of female sex workers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2018

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 700 female sex workers (FSW) aged 18 - 60 years to identify the prevalence of HPV
infection and describes knowledge about HPV among FSWs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC) in 2018. The proportion of FSW who were infected with HPV was 28.5%, the rate of HPV infection was similar between Hanoi and HCMC. There were 23.1% of FSW had good knowledge about cervical cancer, specially 100% of them did not have knowledge about HPV vaccine. Although 22% of FSW have heard of the HPV vaccine, only 1 of FSW in Hanoi had received vaccination. The main reason for not being vaccinated was unawareness of it (57.5%). Implementing more communication programs and interventions to
improve the knowledge of FSW, lead to increase both primary and secondary prevention efforts, including HPV vaccination.