The relationship between knowledge levels of HPV and health literacy in youth – an example from Türkiye

Introduction and aim. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common infection responsible for many cancers. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the knowledge level of HPV and the health literacy of youth living in Türkiye. Material and methods. The study sample comprised 543 youth aged 18 and 30 living in Türkiye. The data were assessed with a questionnaire, the human papilloma virus knowledge scale (HPV-KS), and the health literacy scale (HLS) and the correlation between them. Results. 50.6% of the youth informed that they are aware of HPV, and 54% of the youth know about the transmission mode of HPV. It was determined that knowing HPV increased 1.839 times by being a woman, 1.949 times by being married, and 14.339 times by knowing STIs. The HPV-KS total score average of the youth was low at 14.26±7.04, and the total score average of HLS was high at 107.91±16.81. A positive and significant correlation was found between HPV-KS total score, all sub-factor scores, HLS total score, and all sub-factors total score (p<0.001). Conclusion. Information studies on HPV should be increased by taking advantage of the generality of health literacy.