Young men’s constructions of the HPV vaccine from the United States: ‘It’s optional but not crucial to health’.

Whittaker, Anne; Carnegie, Elaine; Todorova, Irina; Gray Brunton, Carol

Abstract

Since 2011 the United States has licensed the HPV vaccine for use amongst boys and young men. The vaccine is provided through personal health insurance. The aim of this study was to provide understandings of young men’s (18-26 years) constructions of the HPV vaccine from a context where the HPV vaccine has been recently provided. Fifteen young men took part in six focus group discussions to explore their opinions of this vaccine and the data was analysed discursively. A central discursive theme centred on vaccine ambivalence for the HPV vaccine. Such ambivalence rested on the value of the vaccine for young men’s personal health and wider benefits related to social relationships and responsibilities. We discuss the complexities of this vaccine within a US context for the young men participants.

Citation

Whittaker, A., Carnegie, E., Todorova, I., & Gray Brunton, C. (2015, July). Young men’s constructions of the HPV vaccine from the United States: ‘It’s optional but not crucial to health’. Paper presented at 9th Biennial Ineternational Society of Critical Health Psychology Grahamstown, Conference

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: 9th Biennial Ineternational Society of Critical Health Psychology Grahamstown, Conference
• Start Date: Jul 12, 2015
• End Date: Jul 15, 2015
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2017
• Keywords: HPV vaccine; young men; qualitative research
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/846449