Abstract
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. Despite the potentially deadly effects of the virus, there is very low awareness of HPV and its link to cervical cancer across the globe. Efforts to increase awareness of HPV and cervical cancer need to be implemented. In particular, a campaign should be launched to educate young women on the link between HPV and cervical cancer. Methods that could be used include asking all public health centers in the United States to increase awareness of HPV and educate their young female patients on HPV and HPV vaccinations. Other methods include incorporating STD education into public school health curriculums. Lastly, celebrity endorsements can be used in well-developed campaigns to promote wide-spread awareness of HPV and cervical cancer as well as methods to prevent HPV such as HPV vaccines.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a disease-causing virus that is often transmitted through sexual contact. Although the majority of HPV-infected individuals show no symptoms, a small percentage of individuals can develop cervical cancer as a result of an HPV infection (CDC, 2012). In fact, it has been shown that nearly all cervical cancer cases are caused by initial HPV infections. About 5-10% of all women infected with HPV will develop precancerous lesions and cervical cancer (Goldstein, Goodman, del Carman, & Wilbur, 2009). Despite the risk associated with HPV infections, public awareness and understanding of the link between HPV and cervical cancer is very low.
In a study that surveyed 204 women from a public health center, nearly half of the study population acknowledged that they were at risk for STDs. However, 67% of the survey population reported that they had no knowledge of the link between HPV and cervical cancer. Only about 20 women from the study knew that HPV could cause cervical cancer. In addition, many of the young women from the survey population never had a Pap smear despite being sexually active (Moreira et al. 2006). Furthermore, this phenomenon is an increasing global problem. According to extensive population studies conducted in Great Britain and Mexico, only 2% of the women surveyed actively mentioned HPV when asked about the cause of cervical cancer. Although name recognition of HPV is around 30% in population samples from Great Britain, less than half of those women actually understand the link between HPV and cervical cancer (Marlow, Waller, &Wardle, 2007).
The reason why public awareness of the disease is so low is because there are few active campaigns to increase awareness of the disease. While sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV are often mentioned at the doctor’s office, young women are rarely educated on the effects of HPV and cervical cancer. The most prominent mentions of HPV come from pharmaceutical companies that manufacture HPV vaccines such as Gardasil (Gerend & Magloire, 2007). Still, young women that see the advertisements for Gardasil still might not make the connection between HPV and cervical cancer.
In order to raise public awareness about the link between HPV and cervical cancer, several steps needs to be taken. A public awareness program regarding HPV and cervical cancer should be implemented at all public health centers. Oftentimes, many of the economically disadvantaged young women who may be at risk for HPV do not have access to information regarding HPV and cervical cancer. In order to promote awareness, clinicians and other employees of public health centers that should mention HPV and the methods to prevent HPV to young women who may be at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, public health programs should offer a discount on HPV vaccines for women who cannot afford the vaccine.
Another good channel of communication is the health program offered at public schools. It is important to educate young girls early on about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases such as HPV. Moreover, instead of an abstinence only program that is often implemented in many public middle and high schools, health programs should also emphasize the importance of using a condom if young women do choose to have sex. Although condoms cannot 100% protect against HPV, they do reduce the chances of contracting the virus. In addition, schools should educate students on HPV prevention through the HPV vaccine. When students can fully understand the link between HPV and cervical cancer, there will be less stigma against getting the HPV vaccine.
A final addition to more developed HPV campaigns include signing on with celebrities who have healthy images to promote awareness of the link between HPV and cervical cancer as well as vaccinations against HPV. When AIDS was first discovered as a sexually transmitted disease, there was a heavy amount of stigma regarding the disease. However, when Magic Johnson announced that he had also contracted HIV, it motivated people to better understand the disease. Thus, getting celebrities with enough influence and appeal to sign on to the HPV campaign can help spread the message to more young women.
Although current public awareness of HPV and cervical cancer is very low, effective communication and extensive marketing strategies can help young women better understand HPV and cervical cancer. With higher public awareness, more women can make informed choices about HPV prevention. Hopefully, with more active HPV campaigns, HPV would no longer cause unnecessary harm to women around the world.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevent. (2012). Sexually transmitted diseases: genital HPV –
fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
Gerend, M.A., & Magloire, Z.F. (2007). Awareness, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Human
Papillomavirus in a Racially Diverse Sample of Young Adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 43(3), 237-242. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.08.022
Goldstein, M.A., Goodman, A., del Carmen, M.G., & Wilbur, D.C. (2009). Case records of the
Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 10-2009. A 23-year-old woman with an abnormal Papanicolaou smear. N. Engl. J. Med., 360(13), 1337–44. doi:10.1056/NEJMcpc0810837
Marlow, L.A.V., Waller, J., & Wardle, J. (2007). Public awareness that HPV is a risk factor for
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Moreira, E.D., Oliveira, B.G., Ferraz, F.M., Costa, S., Costa Filho. J.O., & Karic, G. (2006).
Knowledge and attitudes about human papillomavirus, Pap smears, and cervical cancer among young women in Brazil: implications for health education and prevention. Int J Gynecol Cancer, 16(2), 599-603. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16681732
