Cultural and structural barriers to HPV vaccine acceptance among young women in the United Arab Emirates
- 1Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- 2Faculty of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- 3Department of Family Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Abstract
Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted virus, and oncogenic genotypes are linked to cervical cancer. Vaccination reduces cervical cancer burden, yet uptake remains suboptimal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite national immunisation initiatives. This exploratory study aimed to identify and characterize potential cultural and structural barriers that may impede vaccine uptake among educated, digitally connected women in the UAE to inform future, more representative research. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study surveyed 1455 women aged 18–30 years across all emirates regarding vaccination status, cultural beliefs, and institutional factors influencing vaccine acceptance and uptake. Results: The participants were predominantly educated, non-Emirati, digitally connected young women (mean age 22.4 years, 77.7% non-Emirati, 44.8% healthcare-affiliated). While 58.8% respondents viewed vaccination as culturally acceptable, only 26.2% admitted to being vaccinated. The most commonly reported barriers to vaccination included concerns about side effects, feeling too young for vaccination, and fear of family judgment (47.5%, 28.4%, 27.8%, respectively). The most reported reason for receiving the vaccine was its inclusion in the immunisation schedule (37.9%), followed by parental consent and encouragement (36.6%), and for self-protection purposes (25.6%). Furthermore, acceptance increased when the vaccine was presented as a cancer prevention strategy (64.6%), offered at more convenient location (63.8%) or made more affordable (61.5%). Conclusion: Overall, the primary barriers to vaccination included concerns regarding the fear of public judgment, reflecting a combination of informational gaps, timing-related considerations, and sociocultural influences affecting HPV vaccine uptake. Future research employing representative sampling is needed to determine whether these barriers generalize to broader UAE populations including non-digitally connected, non-healthcare workers, and Emirati women. Once population level barriers are identified through representative research, public health strategies can be designed to address context-appropriate concerns through targeted education on vaccine safety and culturally sensitive engagement with families and young women to improve uptake.
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BibTeX
@article{langhe2026cultural,
title = {{Cultural and structural barriers to HPV vaccine acceptance among young women in the United Arab Emirates}},
author = {Ream Langhe and Alaa AlKhatib and Aya Saber and Dana Saqr and Raniya Al-Janabi and Sarah Ahmed and Teresita Kelly and Ibrahim Mahmoud and Hiba Jawdat Barqawi},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0346507},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346507},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cultural and structural barriers to HPV vaccine acceptance among young women in the United Arab Emirates
AU - Ream Langhe
AU - Alaa AlKhatib
AU - Aya Saber
AU - Dana Saqr
AU - Raniya Al-Janabi
AU - Sarah Ahmed
AU - Teresita Kelly
AU - Ibrahim Mahmoud
AU - Hiba Jawdat Barqawi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0346507
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346507
AB - Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted virus, and oncogenic genotypes are linked to cervical cancer. Vaccination reduces cervical cancer burden, yet uptake remains suboptimal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite national immunisation initiatives. This exploratory study aimed to identify and characterize potential cultural and structural barriers that may impede vaccine uptake among educated, digitally connected women in the UAE to inform future, more representative research. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study surveyed 1455 women aged 18–30 years across all emirates regarding vaccination status, cultural beliefs, and institutional factors influencing vaccine acceptance and uptake. Results: The participants were predominantly educated, non-Emirati, digitally connected young women (mean age 22.4 years, 77.7% non-Emirati, 44.8% healthcare-affiliated). While 58.8% respondents viewed vaccination as culturally acceptable, only 26.2% admitted to being vaccinated. The most commonly reported barriers to vaccination included concerns about side effects, feeling too young for vaccination, and fear of family judgment (47.5%, 28.4%, 27.8%, respectively). The most reported reason for receiving the vaccine was its inclusion in the immunisation schedule (37.9%), followed by parental consent and encouragement (36.6%), and for self-protection purposes (25.6%). Furthermore, acceptance increased when the vaccine was presented as a cancer prevention strategy (64.6%), offered at more convenient location (63.8%) or made more affordable (61.5%). Conclusion: Overall, the primary barriers to vaccination included concerns regarding the fear of public judgment, reflecting a combination of informational gaps, timing-related considerations, and sociocultural influences affecting HPV vaccine uptake. Future research employing representative sampling is needed to determine whether these barriers generalize to broader UAE populations including non-digitally connected, non-healthcare workers, and Emirati women. Once population level barriers are identified through representative research, public health strategies can be designed to address context-appropriate concerns through targeted education on vaccine safety and culturally sensitive engagement with families and young women to improve uptake.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -