Sexual behavior, HPV knowledge, and association with head and neck cancer among a high-risk group

Summary Objectives To understand knowledge of HPV, its association with head and neck cancer (HNC), and source of knowledge in a high-risk population. Materials and methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among attendees at a Drag Racing event in East St. Louis in 2013. Results Only 29.9% knew that HPV definitely increases the risk of developing HNC, 42.4% thought HPV was same as HIV, and only 25.1% received HPV information from a healthcare practitioner. Participants that thought number of sexual partners did not increase risk of developing HPV were more likely to have low knowledge scores ( r  = .74, p Conclusions Knowledge of HPV and its association with head and neck cancer has significant gaps in this population, with a large number of the population accessing HPV information from sources other than a healthcare provider.