In the southern region of Mexicali, Mexico, students and researchers from SDSU Imperial Valley and the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC) are working to bridge a gap on sociocultural barriers influencing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptance within the Indigenous Cucapá community.

The study, where the team conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 mothers, adolescents, and community health promoters, revealed that 85% of the community remains unvaccinated against HPV. The average age of participants was 43 years old, with 40% of them having children between the ages of 9 to 17 years old.

kAm%96 C6D62C49 7@F?5 E96 rF42Aá 4@>>F?:EJ D92C65 2 4@?46C? 😕 92G:?8 =:>:E65 2446DD E@ 962=E9 D6CG:46D 2?5 2 =24< @7 E2:=@C65 65F42E:@?2= 42>A2:8?D] $EF56?ED 2?5 724F=EJ 2=D@ 7@F?5 E96C6 😀 2 =:>:E65 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @? w!’ 2D 2 A@DD:3=6 724E@C 😕 46CG:42= 42?46C[ H9:49 4@>6D 7C@> 2 5:DECFDE 😕 E96 962=E9 42C6 DJDE6> 2?5 2 =24< @7 >65:42= :?7@C>2E:@? 2G2:=23=6 E@ E96 rF42Aá 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 C6D62C49 2=D@ 56=G6D :?E@ 9@H DF49 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 724E@CD 2D 9@H 4=:>2E6 492?86 4C62E6D D:8?:7:42?E 492==6?86D E@ ?FEC:E:@? 2?5 A6@A=6’D @G6C2== 962=E9] %96 DEF5J 7@F?5 2 DEC@?8 56D:C6 2>@?8 H@>6? 7@C 36EE6C 2446DD E@ AC6G6?E:G6 42C6 H96? :?7@C>2E:@? 😀 AC6D6?E65 3J ECFDE65 AC@76DD:@?2=D]k^Am

kAm$s$& x>A6C:2= ‘2==6J DEF56?ED AC6D6?E65 E96 C6D62C49 AC@;64E 2E E96 E9:C5 2??F2= $s$& $EF56?E $J>A@D:F> 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9]k^Am

kAmr9C:DE:?6 ‘2=256K[ 2 $s$& x>A6C:2= ‘2==6J AF3=:4 962=E9 DEF56?E[ D92C65 E92E E96 AC@;64E H2D 2 G6CJ 92?5D\@? “AC24E:46\32D65 6IA6C:6?46Q 7@C 96C 2?5 96C 4=2DD>2E6D]k^Am

kAm“pD 2 DEF56?E[ H6 5@?’E 2=H2JD 86E E@ 4@??64E H:E9 A2CE:4:A2?ED 5:C64E=J H9@ 2C6 A2CE @7 E96 C6D62C49[” D2:5 ‘2=256K] “p7E6C G2C:@FD EC2:?:?8 D6DD:@?D[ H6 =62C?65 9@H E@ E2<6 D2>A=6D 2?5 4@?5F4E DFCG6JD C682C5:?8 H2E6C 2?5 962=E9[ 2?5 23@FE E96:C 4F=EFC6 2?5 E96 DA64:7:4 492==6?86D E96J 7246]”k^Am

kAm&?56C E96 8F:52?46 @7 E96 AC@;64E’D AC:?4:A2= :?G6DE:82E@CD {:?52 {2C2\y24@3@[ $s$& x>A6C:2= ‘2==6J 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C 😕 AF3=:4 962=E9[ s2?:6=2 v@?K2=6K ‘2=6?4:2 2?5 |2C:2 y@DD6 }2G2CC@ x32CC2[ &pqr AC@76DD@CD 😕 ?FEC:E:@?2= D4:6?46[ DEF56?ED F?56CH6?E 2 H66< @7 :?E6?D:G6 EC2:?:?8 😕 4F=EFC2= D6?D:E:G:EJ 2?5 DE2?52C5 AC@E@4@=D 367@C6 >66E:?8 H:E9 A2CE:4:A2?ED]k^Am

kAm}2G2CC@ C6>2C<65 @? E96 AC@7@F?5 H2C>E9 7C@> A2CE:4:A2?ED[ D92C:?8 E92E E96J H6C6 C646AE:G6 2?5 H:==:?8 E@ 3F:=5 2 ECFDE:?8 6?G:C@?>6?E H:E9 E96 C6D62C49 E62>]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D DFCAC:D:?8 E@ 92G6 7@DE6C65 2 H6=4@>:?8 6?G:C@?>6?E H:E9 @FC A2CE:4:A2?ED 2?5 @H E92E E96J 5@ H2?E >@C6 2446DD E@ 962=E942C6 2?5 AC6G6?E:G6 C6D@FC46D[” D2:5 }2G2CC@] “%96 H@C< 5@6D?’E DE@A 2E @FC 7:?5:?8D] (6 2C6 H@C<:?8 @? 2 AC@8C2> H96C6 H6 D92C6 2 A=2? E@ :>A=6>6?E E96 H2JD H6 42? 6IA2?5 G244:?6 2446DD 2?5 @E96C 962=E9\C6=2E65 H@C>F?:EJ]”k^Am

kAmx?E6C4F=EFC2= ?665Dk^Am

kAm%96 7:?5:?8D 9:89=:89E 2 AC6DD:?8 ?665 7@C 4F=EFC2==J D6?D:E:G6 G244:?2E:@? AC@8C2>D E92E :?G@=G6 E96 24E:G6 A2CE:4:A2E:@? @7 4@>>F?:EJ =6256CD 2?5 962=E9 42C6 A6CD@??6= EC2:?65 😕 :?E6C4F=EFC2= 2AAC@2496D]k^Am

kAm%96 E62> 2=D@ 9@A6D E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 =6256CD9:A E62> 7C@> E96 x?DE:EFE@ |6I:42?@ 56= $68FC@ $@4:2= Wx|$$X 2?5 yFC:D5:44:ò? |6I:42=: E@ 25G@42E6 7@C C64FCC:?8 G244:?6 42>A2:8?D E2:=@C65 E@ E96 rF42Aá 4@>>F?:EJ] %96 8@2= 😀 E@ 4C62E6 C6D@FC46D E92E :?4=F56 962=E9 AC6G6?E:@? E2=6? 2?5 H@>6? 2?5 @E96C 24E:@? A=2?D 7@4FD:?8 @? AC6G6?E:G6 962=E9[ 2?5 ?FEC:E:@?]k^Am

kAm“(6 H2?E E@ AC@G:56 4@?E:?F:EJ E@ E9:D C6D62C49 AC@;64E[” D2:5 {2C2] “(6 H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 92G6 >@C6 DEF56?ED[ 3@E9 7C@> $s$& x>A6C:2= ‘2==6J 2?5 &pqr[ 36 :?G@=G65 😕 E96 AC@;64E 6249 D6>6DE6C 2?5 8:G6 324< E@ E96 rF42Aá 4@>>F?:EJ E96 962=E9 D6CG:46D E96J 56D6CG6]”k^Am

kAm%96 AC@;64E H2D >256 A@DD:3=6 E9C@F89 2 Sa[d__ 7F?5 2H2C565 E@ {2C2 2?5 96C DEF56?ED 7C@> $s$&VD a_ac #6iq@C56C r@?76C6?46 E9:?< E2?< 4@>A6E:E:@? 2?5 5@?2E:@?D 7C@> &pqr]k^Am