The influence of parent–child gender on intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns/side effects, National Immunization Survey – Teen, 2010–2019

Amid subpar uptake of HPV vaccination in the United States, gender-generated disparities in HPV vaccination uptake have the potential to perpetuate existing disparities in HPV-associated cancers. Yet few studies have investigated the influence of parent–child gender on intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns/side effects. This study used nationally representative data, spanning 2010–2019, from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen). NIS-Teen respondents are parents/guardians or primary caregivers of adolescents 13–17 years old living in the United States. Over the study period, intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns rose among all parent–child gender pairings but were highest among respondent mothers regarding their unvaccinated daughters. The results revealed a statistically significant increased likelihood of having intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns among all parent–child combinations compared with father–son pairs. These odds were consistently highest among mother–daughter pairs. In 2019, compared with father–son pairs, fathers were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.21–3.12) times more likely to report the intention to not vaccinate against HPV for their daughters, while mothers were 2.23 (95% CI: 1.57–3.17) and 2.87 (95% CI: 2.02–4.09) times more likely to report intentions to refuse HPV vaccination for their sons and daughters, respectively. These findings were persistent and constantly increased over the 10-year study period. Interventions aimed at correcting gender-based misperceptions and countering misinformation about the safety of the HPV vaccine are warranted.