摘要：Objectives. To understand the knowledge levels, attitudes and perceptions of Alaska Native adolescentgirls about cervical cancer, HPV, genital warts and the HPV vaccine.Study design. A qualitative study.Methods. Seventy-nine in-depth interviews were conducted with adolescent females aged 11 through18 years in 4 communities in Alaska. The convenience sample was recruited through word of mouth,posters and flyers distributed in community schools, medical clinics and stores.Results. Many of those surveyed didn’t know the purpose of a vaccine and were not familiar with basicknowledge about HPV, genital warts and cervical cancer. After learning about cervical cancer and HPV,most teens felt that someone their age had an average likelihood of contracting the diseases and thathaving the disease would be quite bad. Most teens said they were interested in vaccination. When askedif they would get a vaccine, older teens most commonly cited concerns about side effects or doubtsabout vaccine efficacy, while younger teens were afraid the shot would hurt. Most teens stated that theypreferred to learn about health topics such as these through television programming, followed by theInternet, brochures and posters.Conclusions. The findings provide valuable information on how to inform adolescents about the vaccineand alleviate their concerns. The design of an educational campaign should vary depending on the ageof the adolescents. For younger teens, distribution of information should be at school using a brochureor curriculum, while for older teens a web page may be more appropriate.(Int J Circumpolar Health 2011; 70(3):245–253)Keywords: Alaska Natives, adolescents, cervical cancer, genital warts, HPV, quadrivalent HPV vaccine
