Enquête de connaissance : quelle est l’information délivrée par les médecins généralistes à leurs patients concernant le papillomavirus en situation de soins ?

Knowledge survey: what information do general practitioners provide to their patients regarding human papillomavirus in care situations? Introduction: The subject of papillomavirus is often discussed in general medicine consultations. As a sexually transmitted infection and responsible for cervical cancer, HPV infection is a source of concern among the population. As part of an approach to improve sexual health, one may wonder what information is provided by general practitioners to their patients regarding papillomavirus in care situations. Material and method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study; with doctors from Savoie, Haute Savoie and Isère; in the form of anonymous online questionnaires shared by email and on social networks on February 9, 2025. Results: This study shows that among the 161 participants in the study, the average rate of correct answers to the questionnaire amounts to 71.6%. The results for the questions about the transmission of the virus (66.6% correct answers in the first clinical case) and the impact on sexual life (62.6% correct answers in the second clinical case) are lower than those about vaccination (success rate of 89% in the last clinical case). 52% of the participants consider themselves quite competent on the subject and 65% are in demand for additional training regarding papillomavirus. Discussion: The level of knowledge observed among study respondents can be considered moderate according to the thresholds usually used in descriptive studies. The identified gaps mainly concern the psychosexual aspect of the infection. In light of the demand, leads to be explored would be to guide training on the psychosexual aspect of infection and the approach to sexual health in general medicine consultations. This study is innovative and representative of the questions of the population. It is however limited by sampling biases; with heterogeneous participation; and self-selection bias. Conclusion: This survey highlights the relevance of good communication from general practitioners to their patients on the psychosexual aspect of HPV infection. In order to generalize these results at the national level and in order to undertaking large-scale training and awareness-raising activities, conducting a survey among doctors across the entire French territory would be relevant in view of current public health objectives and the improvement of sexual health.