Human papillomavirus vaccination and Pap test uptake, awareness, and barriers among young adults in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A comparative cross-sectional survey

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and Pap tests are recognized as effective preventive measures to reduce the incidence of HPV-related diseases among young adults. The objective of this study was to assess HPV vaccination and Pap test uptake, awareness, and barriers among young adults in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2024, involving 831 young adults aged 18–39 residing in GCC countries. The main outcome measures were HPV vaccination and Pap test uptake rates, awareness of the HPV vaccine and Pap testing, and barriers to vaccination. Data were collected using online platforms. The Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used for data analysis. Results: The UAE had the highest vaccination rate at 18.9% (50/264), followed by Qatar at 5.8% (6/104), and KSA at 4.6% (10/216), p