It would be useful explore this finding to pinpoint when anxieties about vaccines start to occur and trust starts to erode. Roughly half of the girls were also aware that having the HPV vaccine did not negate the need to attend for cervical screening in the future; this message needs to be reinforced however for those girls who did not know this. Our research also

suggests that whether girls attend for screening may be dependent on their own mother’s participation in, and perceptions of the importance of, cervical screening. Another point worthy of addressing is that many girls believe that cancer is almost an inevitable part of life and questioned whether a vaccine could actually protect them against cervical cancer. This points to the need to continue to provide up-to-date information Epigenetics inhibitor on how effective the HPV vaccine is estimated to be; if positive new data on HPV vaccine efficacy emerges this could be promoted through the media as a good

news story Selleck Apoptosis Compound Library in the battle against cancer [22]. Our study also suggests that it would be worthwhile addressing adolescents’ concerns about and the process of administering and receiving the vaccination, and to dispel myths surrounding HPV vaccination. Concerns about the cleanliness of needles, the size (of needles) and dose of the vaccine in the second and third doses and the extent of privacy that girls can expect whilst receiving the vaccine could be easily addressed through clear information, and it is important that these worries do not become barriers

to a high uptake of immunisation. In conclusion, our data provide some of the first insights from adolescent girls on HPV following the introduction of the UK HPV vaccination programme in 2008. Our data point to a need to continue to address gaps in knowledge about HPV and to provide information on girls’ immediate concerns about HPV vaccination. One method of doing this might be through targeted campaign PDK4 materials and by ensuring those involved in delivering the programme are aware of girls’ anxieties so that girls’ limited knowledge and fears about vaccination do not act as barriers either to HPV vaccination. We would like to thank all the girls who kindly agreed to take part in the study and the gatekeepers who facilitated the organisation of groups. Thanks are also due to Professor Kate Hunt and to the referees for their comments on the manuscript. This study was funded by the Medical Research Council. The funding body had no role in the design, collection analysis or interpretation of this study. “
“The HIV epidemic is fuelled predominantly by heterosexual transmission, notably so in sub-Saharan Africa where women are disproportionately infected particularly in the 15–24-year-old age range [1].