International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

A young woman's decision over whether to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect against cervical cancer may depend on the beliefs of her mother, it has been reported.

Research published in the American Journal of Public Health indicate that maternal attitudes toward prevention - as indicated by a history of seeking Pap tests and contracting sexually transmitted infections - influences HPV vaccine uptake among their adolescent daughters.

This trend has been found to be consistent across ethnic and neighborhood socioeconomic strata, it is reported.

As reported in the journal, the authors stated: "Our findings suggest that mothers' attitudes toward preventative measures are one of the factors determining whether their daughters receive a non-mandatory vaccine against HPV infection and comply with its recommended 3-dose regimen."

Earlier this month, Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, a radiation oncologist at the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer, claimed one round of HPV screening can reduce the risk of death from cervical cancer by up to 50 per cent.