Abstract A146: Racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between human papillomavirus vaccination status and up-to-date Papanicolaou tests
Authors: Pollard Elinita , Tsai Meng-Han , Lee Minjee , Lee Alice W. , Gerend Mary A. 
Published: September 2024

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and routine Papanicolaou (Pap) testing can prevent morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer (CC). Research suggests women who have initiated and completed the HPV vaccine are more likely to have an up-to-date Pap test than women who are unvaccinated against HPV. Limited research has focused on whether the association between HPV vaccination and Pap testing varies based on the number of HPV vaccine doses received across racial/ethnic groups. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2018 – 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to investigate the relationship between HPV vaccination status and having an up-to-date Pap test by race/ethnicity. Based on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) guidelines, women who received 0 doses of the HPV vaccine were unvaccinated, women who received 1 or 2 doses initiated the vaccine series, and women who received 3 doses completed the HPV vaccine series. Based on the United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, women were considered to have an up-to-date Pap test if they reported having one within the past 3 years. We used weighted multivariable logistic regression models to examine the association. Results: Most women (n = 14,615) were unvaccinated (82.9%) and had an up-to- date Pap test (75.5%). Non-Hispanic White (NHW) women had the highest rate of HPV vaccine series completion (11.8%), followed by non-Hispanic Other (NHO) women (11.2%), non- Hispanic Black (NHB) women (8.6%), and Hispanic women (8.3%). NHW women also had the highest rate of up-to-date Pap test (78.8%). NHB women had the second highest rate (77.6%), followed by Hispanic women (67.8%), and NHO women (66.4%). In adjusted analyses, NHO women were 34% less likely to have an up-to-date Pap test than NHW women (OR, 0.66; 95% CI: 0.51-0.86). Compared to unvaccinated women, those who completed and initiated the HPV vaccine series were more likely to have an up-to-date Pap test (initiated: OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.04-1.87; completed: OR:1.77, 95% CI: 1.35-2.34). NHB and NHO women who initiated the HPV vaccine series were more likely to have an up-to-date Pap test (NHB: OR: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.65-6.85; NHO: OR: 3.21, 95% CI: 1.73-5.95). NHW women who completed the HPV vaccine series were more likely to have an up-to-date Pap test (OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.55-3.08). Conclusion: NHB and NHO women who initiated the HPV vaccine series were three times as likely to have an up-to-date Pap test; NHW women who have completed the HPV vaccine series were twice as likely to receive an up-to-date Pap test. Women who do not receive Pap tests or the HPV vaccine miss important CC prevention opportunities. Thus, relevant stakeholders should aim to improve HPV vaccination rates; doing so could potentially enhance Pap test adherence simultaneously. This may be especially important for NHB and NHO women as they have lower rates of Pap test adherence and HPV vaccine series completion.

Citation Format: Elinita Pollard, Meng-Han Tsai, Minjee Lee, Alice W. Lee, Mary A. Gerend. Racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between human papillomavirus vaccination status and up-to-date Papanicolaou tests [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A146.