Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV vaccine in Bangladeshi women: a population 
based, cross -sectional study  
 
Version: 0 Date: 27 Dec 2016  
 
Reviewer: Echo L. Warner  
 
Reviewer's report : 
 
This manuscript aimed to assess knowledge of cervical cancer and willingness to receive the 
HPV vaccine among Bangladeshi women. Given the high global burden of cervical cancer and 
other HPV related diseases, research that explores c urrent knowledge and awareness about HPV -
related morbidity (e.g., cervical cancer) and receptiveness to HPV vaccination is needed. In that 
light, this study provides valuable baseline information for the development of future 
interventions in Bangladesh. T he manuscript could be strengthened by addressing the comments 
below.  
Major comments:  
It is unclear how the questions related to knowledge of cervical cancer were operationalized. 
Were the questions open -ended in the sense that they generated data for whi ch a qualitative 
analysis would have been appropriate? On the other hand, were the "open ended responses" 
limited to those listed in Table 2? Please clarify in the methods.   
Lines 121 -123: Please explain the rationale for excluding pregnant and post -partu m women.  
Lines 163: Please explain more. Were women ineligible because they were found to have had 
cervical abnormalities or for some other reason?  
Line 179 -180: How was vaccination history determined? If self -reported, please clarify.  
Lines 238 -243: Th is paragraph needs more detail. In the first sentence it is unclear which 
findings from the population based study relate to the current one. It is also unclear in the second 
sentence whether the authors are recommending the development of educational prog rams in 
general, about HPV, HPV vaccination and/or cervical cancer to improve access to preventive 
methods. Furthermore, the recommendations made in this paragraph do not acknowledge 
potential differences in educational programs and differential access to preventive methods for 
rural vs. urban communities.  
There are many grammatical/technical errors throughout the manuscript (misspelling, 
inconsistent punctuation, etc.). Please revise and address these issues throughout. Some are 
detailed below.        
Tables: Please clarify how variables with small cells (i.e., less than 5 observations) were handled. 
Typically I would expect to see a Fisher Exact test performed for these comparisons, however it 
appears that these comparisons were either not calculated or w ere incorrectly calculated using 
Chi-square tests.          
Minor comments:  
Lines 165: area should be plural  
Line 167: 'characters' should be 'characteristics'  
Line 172: It would be helpful for the reader to provide an approximate conversion of 20,000 
BDT to USD or Euro.  
Line 253: Missing period in the middle of this line.  
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the m anuscript:  
 
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially f rom the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the abov e, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
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on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Ope n Access Creative Commons  
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which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published . 
 
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