%0 Generic
%9 Master's Thesis
%A Chakraborty, Priam
%D 2015
%F pittir:25748
%K HPV, Gardasil, Twitter, Social Media, Vaccination
%T An analysis of current topics related to HPV vaccination using twitter as a public health tool  
%U http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/25748/
%X Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to many health complications including genital warts and certain types of cancer. Although HPV is a vaccine-preventable illness, many individuals continue to resist vaccination for both themselves and their children. The objective of this study was to use Twitter, a social media platform for microblogging, to assess views and attitudes towards HPV vaccination. Through a qualitative analysis of tweets posted by users, we hoped to gain a broad public opinion on the topic. Underlying objectives of this study included assessing the practicality of Twitter as a public health tool and determining the potential use of Twitter as a means to further the acceptance of the HPV vaccine.   After analyzing a random subsample of 2,000 HPV related tweets collected over a one-week time span, we found certain topics to be the center of discussion. The four categories that accounted for the largest proportion of tweets included news and media coverage of current events related to the HPV vaccine, the impact of receiving the vaccine on sexual behavior, and the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. The public health significance of this research was to be able to use Twitter as an adjunct tool for identifying current reasons behind not vaccinating for HPV, and potentially for overcoming such barriers.