Background and Aims: HPV vaccine was introduced in 2010 as a part of the national vaccination program in Malaysia. This study aimed to assess the perception and knowledge of cervical cancer prevention among fully vaccinated female university students in the era of HPV vaccination. 

Materials and Methods: A total of 384 fully vaccinated female students were recruited and had a face to face interview with a set of standard questionnaires to evaluate their perception and knowledge towards cervix cancer prevention. The total knowledge score was 18, and was categorized into poor (score ≤5), moderate (score 6-10) and good (score ≥11).

Results: Mean score for knowledge of cervical cancer prevention was 8.24/18 (SD ± 3.85), with 170 students (44.3%) scoring moderate knowledge level. Students’ perceived seriousness and susceptibility of HPV infection, and perceived benefit of HPV vaccination correlated well with knowledge of cervical cancer prevention. The main source of information was schools, followed by internet. As they had been vaccinated, two main reasons for their acceptance were self-health consciousness and free of charge of the vaccination. However, both factors did not correlate with the knowledge of cervical cancer prevention. Besides that, misconception still occurred regarding the need of Pap smear after HPV vaccination among students. 

Conclusion: Knowledge of cervical cancer prevention is average among our fully vaccinated female university students. Although there has been improvement of awareness of HPV vaccination, there is still a need for continued health education to improve the perception and knowledge about HPV infection and cervical cancer prevention among young adults in our community.