Awareness among nurses concerning the human papilloma virus in the selected clinics in Vhembe district of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: HPV infection is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancer if left untreated. According to the World Health Organisation, in 2022, cervical cancer, resulting from HPV infection, ranked as the fourth most common cause of death for women globally. There were approximately 660,000 new cases and approximately 350,000 deaths attributed to this disease. Globally, HPV is responsible for approximately 90% of cervical cancers diagnosed in women, which is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. In addition to cervical cancer, HPV is also linked to a significant proportion of other anogenital cancers (such as vaginal, vulvar, anal cancers) and some oropharyngeal cancers. However, HPV is not associated with breast cancer, which is another common cancer among women. This study aimed to determine the awareness of HPV infection screening and vaccination among nurses in Vhembe district of Limpopo province, South Africa. Methods: This study utilised a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional descriptive design.115 registered nurses from 15 randomly selected clinics in the Vhembe district. Data collection was carried out through self-administered questionnaires, and analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the collected data, with outcomes presented through frequency charts and tables. Results: Of the 115 respondents, 78.3% of the respondents reported that they had never received any formal training on HPV infection screening procedures, such as how to perform the screening or sample collection for HPV infection testing. The study results also revealed that the majority, 60% of the respondents, were unaware that HPV infection does not always manifest its signs and symptoms. Of 115 respondents, the majority, 79.1%, were unaware that HPV infections do not always require treatment. The majority of the 86.1% of respondents believed that HPV infection does not cause cervical cancer. On the contrary, 13.9% of the respondents believed that HPV infection can indeed cause cancer of the cervix. Conclusion: The study concluded that nurses have a low level of awareness of HPV infection. Furthermore, it is recommended that HPV infection screening short training programmes are designed for newly qualified nurses and experienced nurses to improve their knowledge. Limited understanding of HPV infection among nurses may contribute to patients receiving insufficient information about HPV infection.