{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T05:02:33Z","timestamp":1768885353373,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,12]],"date-time":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762905600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":11,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Cervical cancer, a preventable disease, remains a significant public health issue in Ukraine, characterised by low human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates and systemic healthcare challenges exacerbated by the ongoing war. To improve the situation with HPV vaccination, understanding the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is crucial.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to assess the knowledge, awareness and clinical practices of Ukrainian HCPs regarding HPV, HPV-related diseases and vaccination. It sought to identify their readiness to recommend vaccination, the barriers they face and the impact of the full-scale Russia\u2013Ukrainian war on these aspects.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) framework. Data were collected through 12 focus group discussions, 10 in-depth semistructured interviews and short questionnaires with 60 HCPs (gynaecologists, paediatricians, general practitioners, nurses and key decision-makers) across four macroregions of Ukraine in July 2023. A descriptive thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed data.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study found support for HPV vaccination among HCPs, who recognise it as a critical cancer prevention tool. However, significant barriers impede its implementation. These include organisational challenges like the vaccine\u2019s high cost and non-mandatory status, professional issues such as knowledge gaps and prevalent misconceptions (eg, belief in natural immunity, doubts about vaccine safety), particularly among non-gynaecological specialists, and low public awareness of the HPV\u2013cancer link. The war has intensified these barriers by shifting priorities and disrupting services, yet it has also paradoxically increased vaccine awareness among Ukrainians who have been abroad.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The successful rollout of Ukraine\u2019s national HPV vaccination programme requires a comprehensive strategy. Merely adding the vaccine to the schedule is insufficient. It must be accompanied by robust state funding to ensure it is free, a large-scale public information campaign to combat misinformation and raise awareness and targeted continuing medical education to close knowledge gaps and empower HCPs to recommend the vaccine confidently.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-089968","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,12]],"date-time":"2025-11-12T11:25:12Z","timestamp":1762946712000},"page":"e089968","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Exploring awareness, attitudes and clinical practices of Ukrainian health professionals regarding human papillomavirus and vaccination: a qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5498-4143","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tetiana","family":"Tatarchuk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"SI Institute of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Gynecology of NAMS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"},{"name":"Centre for Innovative Medical Technologies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Liudmyla","family":"Kalugina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SI Institute of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Gynecology of NAMS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"},{"name":"Centre for Innovative Medical Technologies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yurii","family":"Antipkin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SI Institute of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Gynecology of NAMS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tetiana","family":"Tutchenko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SI Institute of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Gynecology of NAMS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"},{"name":"Centre for Innovative Medical Technologies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Svitlana","family":"Regeda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Innovative Medical Technologies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Viktoria","family":"Dunaevskaya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Cancer Institute of MoH of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yurii","family":"Tatarchuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, Institute of Postgraduate Education, Kyiv, Ukraine"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025120413265582000_15.11.e089968.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1781","DOI":"10.31557\/APJCP.2023.24.5.1781","article-title":"HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening Policies and Practices in 18 Countries, Territories and Entities across Eastern Europe and Central Asia","volume":"24","author":"Davies","year":"2023","journal-title":"Asian Pac J Cancer Prev"},{"key":"2025120413265582000_15.11.e089968.2","first-page":"525","article-title":"Cervical Cancer Prevention Challenges and Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening and HPV Vaccinations in Ukraine and Eastern Europe","volume":"15","author":"Osnytska","year":"2023","journal-title":"Health (London)"},{"key":"2025120413265582000_15.11.e089968.3","unstructured":"Fedorenko ZY , Michailovich A , Goulak L . 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