Evaluation of knowledge about the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and its vaccination among Community Health Agents in the municipality of Tubarão, Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 2014^*

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

to evaluate the knowledge of Community Health Agents (CHA) about the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and its vaccination.

METHODS:

this is a cross-sectional study with CHA who worked in Tubarão-SC, Brazil, in 2014; data were collected through an evaluation tool about HPV and its vaccination, validated for English language and translated and adapted into Portuguese.

RESULTS:

124 CHA participated in this study; all of them had already heard about HPV, but only 25.0% had heard about HPV testing; 72.6% answered correctly less than 70.0% of the questions; those who answered correctly more than 70.0% were, in general, younger than the other CHA (p=0.010).

CONCLUSION:

CHA demonstrated little knowledge on HPV, which may affect their work as multipliers in the prevention of diseases and in education in health.

Keywords:
Papilomaviridae; Papillomavirus Vaccines; Family Health Strategy; Community Health Workers; Epidemiology, Descriptive