Stage-Based mHealth Communication Interventions for HPV Education

In the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society, there were an estimated 12,710 new cases of cervical cancer in 2011 and 4,290 women died from it [1]. It has been established that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical cancer [2]. In 2006, the first HPV vaccine was approved for use with young women, however, the adoption rate remains low. To promote vaccine adoption widely among college women, in-depth understanding of their disinterest in HPV vaccine is needed. 357 college women participated in the HPV vaccine adoption study. HPV vaccination rate was 53.8%. From qualitative analyses seven common themes of reasons for HPV vaccine non-adoption emerged. Based on the study findings, we conceptualized a stage-based evidence-driven outreach intervention utilizing health text messaging to provide accurate, tailored and timely information related to HPV and HPV vaccines to promote protective health behavior in college women.