HPV Cancer Awareness
We are working with LGBTQ+ community members to develop new resources to raise awareness of cancers linked to the HPV virus and increase the uptake of vaccinations against HPV amongst eligible members of our community.
More about the project
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) increases the risk of various cancers, including cervical cancer, anal cancer, and some types of head and neck cancer. The HPV vaccine helps protect you against these cancers. It is routinely offered to teenagers at school, but the uptake could be higher. Men who have sex with men (and trans people in their sexual networks) as well as people living with HIV can get the vaccine up until they are 45.
We want to help the local LGBTQ+ community to understand why this vaccination is important, and help community members to be more aware of the risks of HPV related cancers, so we can access appropriate screening programmes and get treatment early, if we need it. We also want to educate local health professionals on the specific risk faced by the LGBTQ+ community in relation to HPV-related cancers, and to reduce the barriers to people accessing screenings.
To do this, we are working with a group of community volunteers to co-produce new resources and health promotion materials that are appropriate to our communities. Once these materials are available, we’ll be training volunteers as community cancer awareness champions so they can share relevant information and advice with the people they know.
Contact the Trade office if you’d like to get involved in this project or want more information about HPV-related cancers and whether you’re eligible for the HPV vaccine.
