Shame on me?

When asked how they thought they would feel and how they thought other people would react to them if they tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV), female university students who knew that the virus is sexually transmitted reported higher expected levels of shame and stigma than those who did not know how it is spread. (1) Among the 811 respondents to a Web-based survey, who were 18-30 years of age, those who knew that the infection is quite common would not expect to feel as much shame, stigma and anxiety because of an HPV diagnosis as would those who were unaware of the infection's prevalence. Women who knew that the virus is sexually acquired but not that it is very common had the highest expected levels of shame and stigma. Noting that respondents were addressing only a hypothetical situation, the researchers comment that if these findings apply to women actually undergoing HPV testing, they suggest that public health messages need to emphasize the prevalence of the disease and that widespread awareness of how common it is "could mitigate most of the negative psychosocial consequences of publicising the fact that HPV is sexually transmitted."

(1.) Waller J, Marlow LAV and Wardle J, The association between knowledge of HPV and feelings of stigma, shame and anxiety, Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2007, 83(2):155-159.