Vilket kön har HPV? : En kvantitativ innehållsanalys om rapportering kring HPV främst riktar sig mot kvinnor eller män

Sammanfattning

This study examines how human papillomavirus (HPV) is reported and which genders are mentioned in the reporting of Sweden’s largest digital newspaper, Aftonbladet. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital warts and different types of cancer in people of all genders, although cervical cancer has historically received the most attention. In Sweden, an HPV vaccine that protects against most cancer- and wart-causing virus types has been offered free of charge to girls since 2012 and to boys since 2020. Despite established knowledge that the vaccine protects men and contributes to herd immunity, making the elimination of cervical cancer possible, it is unclear whether media reporting reflects these developments. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Aftonbladet’s coverage of HPV has changed in relation to gender and themes following the inclusion of boys in the vaccination program. Specifically, the study analyzes which genders are mentioned depending on how HPV is reported, for example as a sexually transmitted disease or as a cause of cancer, as well as the overall dominant themes of HPV. The study applies framing theory and gender theory through a quantitative content analysis. Two time periods are analyzed, five years prior to and five years following the introduction of free HPV vaccination for boys. The results show that Aftonbladet mainly reports about HPV in relation to cancer, with cervical cancer being by far the most frequently mentioned. A change can be observed in vaccine recommendations during the first period where vaccination is primarily recommended for women, whereas recommendations are more gender-balanced in the second period. However, despite these changes, HPV continues to be mainly associated with women in the reporting across both time periods in Aftonbladet.