Knowledge, Attitude, and Clinical Practice of HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening: A National Survey of OB-GYN Practitioners in Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer screening among obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs), residents, and gynecologic oncology fellows in Thailand.

METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional survey (September 2024-June 2025) was conducted using a content-validated questionnaire. Domains (numbers of items) included knowledge about HPV (7), HPV vaccination (13), and screening (10), attitudes (14), and practices (6). Composite 'good' knowledge thresholds were pre-specified (HPV 5-7/7; screening 7-10/10; vaccination 10-13/13; total 22-30/30). Associations with good total knowledge were examined.

RESULTS: Of 227 respondents, 74.5% were female, and 83.7% worked in government hospitals. Overall, good knowledge was observed in 55.5%. A wide range of good knowledge was found in each domain: HPV (71.0%), vaccination (41.8%), and screening (87.7%). Frequent misconceptions (incorrect answers) were about the benefits of HPV vaccination in HPV infection clearance (52.8%) and the necessity for HPV testing in men with infected partners (35.7%). The majority agreed or strongly agreed that self-collected and healthcare-collected HPV tests were equally effective (66.5%). In multivariable analysis, years of practice was the only independent factor associated with overall good knowledge (adjusted odds ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.14; p = 0.010).

CONCLUSION: Thai OB-GYN practitioners showed good overall knowledge, especially those with more experience, and positive attitudes toward cervical screening. However, a knowledge gap in HPV vaccination was observed, highlighting the need for continuing education on vaccination.