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HPV Vaccine Survey_Rapid Community Assessment

HPV Knowledge and Attitudes Survey

Introduction and Informed Consent

You are invited to take a survey about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine. Your responses will help us improve health education and outreach on HPV in Washington DC.

This survey is voluntary. You can skip any questions or stop the survey at any time. This survey is anonymous and confidential; we will not collect any personal health information and your answers will stay private. It will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

IRB Approval: This study has been reviewed and approved by the DC Health Institutional Review Board (Protocol IRBPH # 2025-2).

Questions or Concerns: If you have any questions about this survey, contact Rebecca Epstein at repstein@institutephi.org or (804 269 8323). If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the DC Health IRB at (202) 442-5865.

You must be at least 18 years old and a resident of Washington, DC to participate. If you agree to take part in this survey, please continue to the next section.

To thank you for completing this survey, you will have the opportunity to enter a raffle drawing for a $100 Giant gift card at the end of the survey. A separate link will be provided to enter your contact information to make sure your survey responses remain anonymous.
Part 1: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Knowledge
1.Where have you heard about HPV? Check all that apply.
2.Where have you heard about the HPV vaccine? Check all that apply.
3.Who is HPV a concern for? Select all that apply.
4.Which of the following do you think is true about HPV? Check all that apply
5.At what ages is the first dose of the HPV vaccine currently recommended? (Select one)
Part 2: Attitudes and Beliefs about HPV and the HPV Vaccine
6.If you are a caregiver of a child between 9 and 17, how likely are you to have your child receive the HPV vaccine when recommended by a healthcare provider?
7.Do you think caregivers should be given an option to opt out of the HPV vaccine requirement for school enrollment?
8.How would you prefer to receive information about the HPV vaccine? (Check all that apply)
9.Who do you trust to give you information about the HPV vaccine? (Check all that apply)
For the following statements about the HPV vaccine, please indicate your level of agreement. Choose one response for each statement.
10.The HPV vaccine is safe for children.
11.I am concerned about serious side effects from the HPV vaccine.
12.HPV vaccination may encourage early sexual activity in teens.
Part 3: Eligibility and Demographics
13.What is your age?
14.Do you currently live in Washington, DC?
15.Which Ward do you live in?
16.How do you identify yourself?
17.Which of the following best describes you? (Check all the apply)
Thank you for completing this survey! Your input is valuable and will help improve public health efforts in Washington, DC. If you are interested in entering a raffle for a $100 Giant gift card, please use this link to provide your contact information. A separate link is used to collect contact information to make sure your survey responses remain anonymous.

Here are the correct answers to the knowledge questions you were asked:

HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is a virus that can cause several health conditions. It is known to cause cervical cancer, throat cancer, anal cancer, and genital warts. It does not cause HIV/AIDS or common illnesses like the cold or flu. HPV is primarily transmitted through sexual contact, including oral sex, and in fact, most sexually active people will contract HPV at some point in their lives. Because of this, public health experts, including the CDC and DC Health, recommend that children receive the first dose of the HPV vaccine at ages 9–12 to provide protection well before any exposure risk.
This survey is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $100,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by DC Health or CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.