ACTA DERMATOVENEROLOGICA CROATICA Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection and HPV Vaccination: Assessing the Level of Knowledge among Students of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

193 ABSTRACT Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a causative factor for cervical cancer, remains a topic of great interest. About 80% of sexually active women are at risk of acquiring an HPV infection at some point in life, the peak incidence of infection having been identified in young women. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of medical students about sexually transmitted diseases, HPV infection, HPV vaccinations, and student sexual behavior. A transversal study was conducted using a questionnaire on students on the 1st and 6th year at the Faculty of Medicine of Tîrgu Mureş University, Romania. The study resulted in 522 fully completed questionnaires. The percentage of students who had heard about HPV was 82.1% in the 1st year and 99.1% in the 6th year of medical school, but the level of knowledge was different: 62% of senior students had a good or very good level of knowledge, whereas 55.1% of first year students had little knowledge on the topic. About 75% of 6th year students would vaccinate their child against HPV, compared with only 52.4% of 1st year students (P<0.001). The level of knowledge about HPV infection among students in their first year of medical school is rather low, significantly lower compared to 6th year students, which suggests acquiring some basic information in this area since the first year of college or even high school.