Qualitative Study 1 – Expert Interviews

These interviews will be conducted with health professionals (pediatricians, gynecologists, infectious disease specialists, pharmacists) as they constitute the formal source of health information for the public. Furthermore, they constitute an important advocacy group with scientific status and presence in the media.

Fifteen interviews will be conducted in order to cover all the disciplines involved in the field of cervical cancer.

Examples of questions which could be included in an interview with these experts are:

• ‘In your opinion is there a need for educating the recipients of HPV vaccines, as opposed to many vaccines delivered to newborns, and children, without any education?’
• ‘Do health authorities educate the public about HPV and cervical cancer prevention and if so how?’
• ‘Do you think that misconceptions about what the HPV vaccine does and does not do, lead to reductions or rise in safer sex practices and Pap screening rates?’

Literature review summary

Descriptions of cancer have been recorded from ancient times and since then physicians have been trying to find out causes and cures. Several theories have been supported throughout history. Nowadays, the concept of viruses causing cancers is no novel. In 1983, Zur Hausen was able to demonstrate the presence of HPV 16 and 18 in cervical cancer biopsies. HPVs are a family of viruses that are extremely common worldwide and cause 100% of cervical cancers. Every year, almost 500 000 women develop cervical cancer and 274 000 die from the disease.

Part I - Literature review

International databases, online libraries and national policy papers were searched to identify relevant documents, papers, newspaper articles, websites etc.

The aspects of the topic we placed emphasis on were:

• the HPV – cancer link
• cervical cancer
• screening and the HPV vaccine
• role of health professionals
• knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of adolescents, parents and women
• communication and health message framing
• ethical considerations (such as parental rights, gender issues and public health)
• vaccination policies worldwide
• pilot and evaluation studies
• legislation
• implementation
• controversies between actors
• recommendations by relevant health organizations