Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is sexually transmitted, is the leading risk factor for cervical cancer. Vaccination against HPV infection is recommended for girls aged 11 to 14, but vaccination coverage remains low in France. Between January and August 2016, 960 young women aged 15 to 25 and 1,491 parents of girls aged 11 to 19 were surveyed by telephone about their perceptions of the disease (severity, frequency) and its vaccine (effectiveness, serious side effects), to explore the association between these perceptions and reported vaccination status. In 2016, 92.8% of parents and 95.0% of young women who had heard of the HPV vaccine considered HPV infection to be serious, and 62.3% and 68.9%, respectively, considered it to be common. The vaccine was deemed effective by 69.4% of parents and 76.2% of young women. Nearly half (54.0% in both groups) believed it could cause serious side effects. The perception of the vaccine’s effectiveness (young women: OR=8.0 [4.9–13.0], parents: OR=3.7 [2.2-6.3]) and, conversely, the perception of serious side effects (young women: OR=0.5 [0.4-0.7], parents: OR=0.3 [0.2-0.4]) were strongly linked to HPV vaccination. Perceptions regarding HPV vaccination had a stronger influence on vaccination practices than perceptions regarding the disease itself. This study confirms the main barriers to HPV vaccination, highlighting the need for greater public education.