Introduction
The incidence of cervical cancer in Appalachia exceeds
the national rate; rural Appalachian women are at especially high risk. We
assessed the attitudes and practices related to human papillomavirus vaccination
among providers in primary care practices in a contiguous 5-county area of
Appalachian Pennsylvania.
Methods
In December 2006 and May 2007, all family medicine,
pediatric, and gynecology practices (n = 65) in the study area were surveyed by
2 faxed survey instruments.
Results
Of the 65 practices, 55 completed the first survey
instrument. Of these 55, 44 offered the vaccine to their patients. Forty of the
44 practices offered it to girls and women aged 9 to 26 years, and 11 were
willing to accept referrals from other practices for vaccination. The average
reported charge for each of the 3 required injections was $150. Of the 55
practices that responded to the first survey instrument, 49 responded to the
second survey instrument, 46 of which recommended the vaccine to their
patients.
Conclusions
The prevalence of offering the vaccine against human
papillomavirus was high in this area of Appalachian Pennsylvania. Future
interventions may focus on community education because the vaccine is available
from most providers.