People seeking health information about human papillomavirus via the internet have a very high level of anxiety
Veronique Verhoeven A C , Marc Baay A and Pieter Baay BA Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
B Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Utrecht, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
C Corresponding author. Email: veronique.verhoeven@ua.ac.be
Sexual Health 6(3) 258-259 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH09057
Submitted: 27 May 2009 Accepted: 14 June 2009 Published: 3 August 2009
Abstract
A website with evidence-based information on human papillomavirus (HPV) has been developed at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Visitors were asked to fill in a web-based form, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), to obtain information on their profile. During the study period, 232 of 3638 (6.4%) visitors filled in the form. In our study, people looking for HPV information on the internet showed high anxiety levels. Three determinants contributed to the STAI score: a previous HPV-test, young age, and not feeling reassured by the website’s content. It is warranted that physicians counsel their patients on HPV-related issues in the context of cervical cancer screening.
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