Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally, with both low-risk types (6 and 11) causing genital warts, and high-risk types (16 and 18) leading to cancers of the cervix, oropharynx, and other anogenital areas. Women with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs), such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have an increased risk of HPV infection and subsequent cervical dysplasia. HPV vaccination is the most effective preventive measure, but vaccine coverage remains low.

Objectives: This study aims to describe sociodemographic factors, the level of knowledge, attitudes, and vaccination intentions regarding HPV among women of reproductive age with ARDs.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted among reproductive-age women (18–45 years) with ARDs who attended the rheumatology service at the University Hospital. Participants completed the validated survey “Knowledge, attitudes and intention towards HPV (KAI-VPH)”. The survey included 44 questions divided into four sections: sociodemographic data, HPV-related knowledge, attitudes toward vaccination, and intentions to get vaccinated before and after receiving information about HPV and its vaccine. Knowledge, attitude, and intention scores were analyzed and compared across demographic variables using statistical tests.

Results: A total of 110 women were included, with a mean age of 32.14 years (SD 8.2). The most common diagnoses were RA and SLE (41.8% each). Thirty-three percent of women had completed their HPV vaccination, although 83.6% had heard of the vaccine. Knowledge about HPV was moderate, with most participants recognizing the connection between HPV and cervical cancer but lacking vaccination schemes and costs. A positive attitude toward HPV vaccination was noted in 54.5% of participants. Intention to vaccinate was favorable in 57.3% of women, although it decreased slightly after they received more information. Statistically significant associations were found between higher education level (p=0.014), marital status (p=0.014), and awareness of the HPV vaccine (p=0.002) with higher knowledge scores. We also found that women diagnosed with SLE have a better attitude towards vaccination than women diagnosed with RA (p=0.005, 2.75 ± 0.67 vs 2.26 ± 0.74) (Table 1). Women who have heard about the vaccine before (p=0.048) and have not been vaccinated (p=0.003) had a higher intention to get vaccinated (Table 2).

Conclusion: The study highlights low to moderate levels of knowledge, generally positive attitudes, and a favorable vaccination intention in women with ARDs. However, HPV vaccination coverage remains low among women with ARDs, and awareness is key to improving vaccination uptake. Women with higher education levels tend to have better knowledge of HPV and display a positive attitude toward vaccination. Educational interventions emphasizing the HPV infection and the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, even in immunocompromised individuals such as women with ARDs, could significantly improve HPV vaccination rates and reduce the associated risks of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases.

REFERENCES: NIL.

Acknowledgements: NIL.

Disclosure of Interests: None declared.

© The Authors 2025. This abstract is an open access article published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ). Neither EULAR nor the publisher make any representation as to the accuracy of the content. The authors are solely responsible for the content in their abstract including accuracy of the facts, statements, results, conclusion, citing resources etc.