¹Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, Grower Street, London, UK

Correspondence: Professor J Wardle, E-mail: j.wardle@ucl.ac.uk

Received 1 June 2007; Revised 12 July 2007; Accepted 16 July 2007; Published online 7 August 2007.

Abstract

We assessed awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) in a population sample of British women (n=1620) using similar questions to those in a survey in 2002. Only 2.5% cited HPV as the cause of cervical cancer without prompting; up from 0.9% in 2002. Public education about HPV is urgently needed.