Girls were also unsure as to what they could or could not do immediately after having the vaccine. “It said you’re not allowed to have sex within six weeks, or something. I remember reading that” (E, FG1). As the focus groups and interviews were conducted, we told participants that questions Selleck GDC-0449 would be answered at the conclusion of the session, so as not to influence responses. The discussions after the focus groups and interviews were lengthy and lasted up to 40 min. Both girls and parents wanted more information, had a tendency to defer responsibility about being informed or about decision-making, and parents tended to judge themselves critically for not being well-informed.

Many girls expressed frustration at not knowing information about the vaccine. One girl, after stating that she wanted more information, clarified her response. She responded, “Yes [I want more information], and it would encourage me to get it [the HPV vaccine] more, if I knew the facts…” (B, FG1). Other girls also said that having more information would make them more

confident in the decision to be vaccinated. Mainly girls, but also parents, had suggestions about what and how information could be delivered to future HPV school-based vaccination programs. Girls wanted information that was designed for them. “Yeah, I think, because on the [information] sheet it was really thorough, I guess, and they probably used some big words, and we’re only in year 7, … they should still have a parent information pack, but then [also] a little selleck products dot-print [information sheet] maybe, in simple words, so the child who is supposed to get the shot can quickly understand before they have it, so they actually know what they’re taking.” (D, FG2). Girls also mentioned that lessons or videos in class would be an appropriate venue for educating them. Some parents explained their lack of knowledge by the tendency to defer responsibility these to trusted sources. “I guess only since receiving this [information during the study], in that it has reminded me that we said ‘yes,’ and it’s a bit after the horse has bolted sort of thing…

But I think it’s just because it’s lumped in, it’s another vaccination in the blue book – you do this at age 2, at age 5 you do this. I’ve never questioned the blue book” (D, P2). One parent assumed that her daughter would seek out or would be given information about the vaccine. Girls also referred to their parents’ deferment: “I think my parents just gathered that the school would have walked us over it…” (H, FG2). Girls deferred responsibility for not fully understanding the information as well, but they did so mostly implicitly, saying that information sheets were not aimed to them and that they would probably receive more information as they got older. Since their knowledge about HPV vaccination was limited, some parents expressed some sense of guilt or shame over vaccinating their daughters without being well-informed.