8.12.21
By Son of Inequity
The July 2021 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention includes a report detailing a geospatial analysis showing that those who live in rural areas, have limited access to transportation, and are Hispanic are far more likely to fall far below the national average for Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.
According to the paper, Identifying Area-Level Disparities in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Coverage Using Geospatial Analysis, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. HPV can lead to a variety of cancers, many of which are more prevalent among African and Hispanic Americans.
An HPV vaccine, which can effectively prevent both HPV and HPV-associated cancers, is readily available throughout the U.S. However, these researchers determined that the availability of the HPV vaccine “is suboptimal and varies by geographic region,” specific poor rural regions with a high percentage of Hispanic residents.
The research team, led by David Wheeler, M.P.H., PhD of the VCU Massey Cancer Center, sought to “model the variation in vaccination rates among boys and girls within ZIP Codes in Virginia, determine whether neighborhood sociodemographic variables explain variation in HPV vaccination, and identify areas with significantly depressed vaccination coverage.”
According to the VCU research team: “The results showed low vaccination coverage in our birth cohort (28.9% in girls and 23.8% in boys) relative to the national level (56.8% and 51.8%, respectively). Several area-level variables were significantly and positively associated with vaccination coverage, including population density, percentage of Hispanic population, and average number of vehicles. In addition, there were several areas of significantly lowered vaccination coverage, including predominantly rural ones, and overall large geographic disparities in HPV vaccination.”
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet on HPV and Cancer, Hispanic and African American women both have higher rates of HPV-associated cervical cancer than women of other races and non-Hispanic women.
- While rare, HPV-associated vaginal cancers are more prevalent among African American women, while HPV-associated vulvar cancers are more common among White women.
- While also rare, Hispanic men had higher rates of HPV-associated penile cancer than non-Hispanic men.
- In all races and ethnicities, men had higher rates of HPV-associated cancers of the oropharynx (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils) than women. Black and Hispanic men and women had lower rates of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers than White and non-Hispanic men and women.
According to a Massey Cancer Center press release describing this research project, Dr. Wheeler said: “Several socio-economic variables were significantly and positively associated with vaccination coverage, including population density, percent Hispanic population and average number of vehicles. Despite being one of the few states to mandate vaccination of females for school entry, the overall rate of HPV vaccine coverage within Virginia remains low compared to the national average.”