cervical cancer awareness

Happy 20th Birthday, HPV Vaccine: A Love Letter on International HPV Awareness Day 2026

By Sara Lyle-Ingersoll, Cervivor Communications Director

Happy 20th birthday, HPV vaccine!

Two decades is a big deal. Cervivor marked the same milestone last year, so we know a bit about what 20 years of impact feels like.

We still remember the excitement in 2006 when the first HPV vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The news made the cover of Time magazine and the front page of The New York Times. But it wasn’t just another medical headline — it was a major scientific breakthrough. The idea that we could prevent cervical cancer before it ever started felt revolutionary. The hope was palpable.

Which makes today, International HPV Awareness Day — part of the International Papillomavirus Society‘s (IPVS) annual campaign to promote HPV prevention, screening, and care — a fitting moment to say happy birthday, thank you, and keep up the good work. Consider this our love letter to you, HPV vaccine. 

Why We Love You

Let’s start with the obvious: You prevent cancer.

Not symptoms. Not severity. Cancer. 

HPV is incredibly common — about 80% of people will be infected at some point in their lives. Most infections clear on their own, but some persist and can lead to cancer. Globally, HPV causes nearly all cervical cancers and contributes to cancers of the anus, oropharynx (throat), vulva, vagina, and penis. Together, HPV-related cancers account for more than 720,000 new cancer cases and roughly 350,000 deaths worldwide each year. 

When you were first approved in 2006, you protected against four HPV types, including types 16 and 18, which cause the majority of cervical cancers. Today’s version protects against nine HPV types: seven responsible for about 90% of cervical cancers, plus two that cause most genital warts. That’s pretty badass. Pardon our language.

Because prevention works best before infection occurs, vaccination is recommended between age 11 and 12, and can be given as early as 9. In this video for HPV Day 2026, IPVS envisions a world free from the cancer-causing virus — made possible in large part by you. 

Your Track Record Speaks for Itself

More than half a billion doses of the HPV vaccine have been given out worldwide, and decades of safety monitoring across multiple countries continue to confirm that you are safe. 

Any side effects are typically mild and temporary, and serious reactions are rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and numerous independent reviews consistently affirm your safety.

And are you effective? Heck, yes! The data is just as strong. 

Countries with high vaccination coverage — think Australia, Rwanda, Sweden — have documented dramatic declines in HPV infections, genital warts, and high-grade cervical precancers among young people. 

This is no longer about projections or promises. The receipts are in. Here are just a few: 

  • A landmark 2020 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that Swedish girls vaccinated before age 17 had an 88% lower risk of cervical cancer compared to unvaccinated peers. 
  • In the U.K., research published in The Lancet in 2021 showed nearly a 90% reduction in cervical cancer among women vaccinated between 12 and 13.
  • In the U.S., a 2025 CDC analysis of 2008–2022 data found that cervical precancers among women 20 to 24 — the first generation routinely vaccinated — declined by roughly 80%.

That’s measurable progress and lives saved. Wow, just wow. 

U.S. rates of moderate to severe cervical precancers (CIN2+ and CIN3+) declined sharply from 2008 to 2022 among women 20 to 24 — the first generation routinely vaccinated against HPV. 

We Know It Hasn’t Always Been Easy

From the beginning, you carried more than a syringe and a schedule. You carried stigma — something anyone affected by a below-the-belt cancer understands all too well.

Because HPV is transmitted through intimate contact, conversations about the vaccine have often been wrapped up in discomfort, misinformation, and politics. Some struggle discussing a sexually transmitted virus with preteens. Others falsely claim you’re a “permission slip” for promiscuity. 

At the recent 2026 Cervical Cancer Summit — while unpacking your complicated history — Chief Medical Officer of the Association of Immunization Managers Michelle Fiscus, MD, FAAP, shared an old cartoon poking fun at the promiscuity myth. It showed a young girl receiving the HPV vaccine and saying, “I am so turned on right now.” The joke landed because the premise was so absurd.

A vaccine does not change a child’s values or lifestyle choices. It reduces their risk of cancer. Full stop.

At the 2026 Summit, Association of Immunization Managers CMO Michelle Fiscus emphasized that “misinformation remains one of our biggest barriers,” calling the promiscuity myth “farcical.”

In Case You Need to Hear This

Progress hasn’t been perfect — but that’s not on you. 

Vaccination rates vary widely by region and community. In the U.S., HPV vaccination coverage among adolescents continues to improve, but it still trails other routine adolescent vaccines like Tdap and meningococcal, according to the CDC. Research shows that a strong provider recommendation is one of the biggest factors in increasing HPV vaccination.

Globally, cervical cancer disproportionately affects women in low- and middle-income countries, where access to both vaccination and screening can be limited. The WHO’s strategy to eliminate the disease as a public health problem calls for 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15.

It’s simple math: The more people who receive you, the more lives will be saved from HPV-related cancers — which is why we’re your hype girl today and every day. 

For HPV Day, the IPVS shares a message of unity. 

Keep On Keeping On!

HPV vaccine, you have given us a tool that previous generations couldn’t even dream of. 

Twenty years ago, approving the first HPV vaccine was an act of scientific courage and public health ambition. Today, the challenge is simpler — and harder. We have to use it.

Reflecting on the momentum of the first National HPV Conference last April, Cervivor Founder and Chief Visionary Tamika Felder said, “Knowledge is power, but this is just the start. Preventable cancers like cervical cancer are on the rise because of complacency, stigma, and misinformation. The time to prevent suffering — and save lives from cervical and other HPV-related cancers — is now.”

Your moment is now. 

Happy 20th birthday to a vaccine that prevents cancer.

Here’s to a future when a cervical cancer diagnosis or, worse, a death is ancient history. 

P.S. Congratulations to the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program on five years of saving lives by increasing HPV vaccination rates! We couldn’t be prouder to call you a partner.

About the Author

SARA LYLE-INGERSOLL is a content and communications expert dedicated to transforming lived experiences into impactful stories. Her award-winning magazine feature about a close friend who passed from cervical cancer in their twenties led her to connect with Cervivor’s founder, Tamika Felder, and solidified her commitment to cervical cancer awareness and prevention. Now, as Cervivor’s Communications Director, Sara brings this mission full circle.

We Are the Legacy: Black Survivor Voices Shaping a Future Without Cervical Cancer

By Kyle Minnis, Cervivor Communications Assistant

When we talk about Black History Month, we often focus on the names everyone knows: movement builders, artists, scientists, and changemakers whose impact is still felt today. In cervical cancer, there is another history — one often unnamed: a history of medical mistrust that continues to shape what Black individuals with a cervix experience in exam rooms and oncology wards.

At Cervivor School Kansas City, Tiera was named a 2025 Cervivor Champion.

Cervivor Ambassador and Lead of Cervivor Noir Tiera Wade, who recently wrote a blog post celebrating Black physicians addressing cervical cancer disparities, says this reality shaped her own experience. Many Black women report that their pain and symptoms are minimized or dismissed.

“I was experiencing back pain, vaginal bleeding, and pain during intercourse, but I didn’t realize it was all preventable,” says the Akron, Ohio, resident, who was diagnosed during COVID after waiting months to be treated. “If I had been properly educated and prioritized as an African American woman — made aware of what HPV was — I would have been more proactive.”

During a recent panel Tiera moderated at the 2026 Cervical Cancer Summit Powered by Cervivor, Inc., Dr. Paris Thomas, PhD, MS, of Equal Hope in Chicago, shared how her grandmother often told the story of why her own mother never delivered her children in a hospital. After losing a baby there, she believed hospitals were unsafe and never returned. That pain carried across generations.

“Trust starts in our homes,” Dr. Thomas explained. And rebuilding it requires working within communities — asking what they need and creating care that feels familiar and respectful.

Tiera (second from left) moderated a Community In Action panel at the 2026 Cervical Cancer Summit featuring public health experts, including Dr. Thomas (at right). 

For Tiera, navigating treatment alone during the pandemic became an unexpected source of strength. “Because my treatment happened in the middle of COVID, I really had to use my voice,” she said. “I had to show up for myself. It gave me my power back.”

This February, Cervivor honors Black History Month by centering the voices of Black survivors — like Tiera and her fellow Black Cervivor community members featured below — while advancing its critical work to address persistent inequities and support individuals of color affected by cervical cancer.

From History to Right Now

Cervical cancer’s story cannot be told without Black women. In the 1950s, Henrietta Lacks, a young Black mother treated for cervical cancer, had her cells taken without her consent. Those cells became the first immortal human cell line and helped pave the way for countless scientific breakthroughs, including research that ultimately contributed to HPV vaccines.

Henrietta Lacks

Enslaved Black women, often called the “Mothers of Gynecology,” were also subjected to experimentation without anesthesia or consent. That lingering mistrust still echoes today, shaping how safe it feels to seek care, ask questions, or advocate for oneself.

The disparities persist. Black women are more likely to die from cervical cancer than any other racial or ethnic group. They are more often diagnosed at a later stage, even though screening rates are often similar to or higher than those of white women. The issue is not simply whether a Pap or HPV test is done. It is what happens before and after: whether symptoms are taken seriously, abnormal results are followed up on, and treatment is accessible and affordable.

Barriers extend beyond the exam room — insurance gaps, transportation, childcare, time off work, and broader systemic inequities all affect access.

At the Summit, Dr. Thomas highlighted a stark example from Chicago. Brachytherapy centers — critical for cervical cancer treatment — are not located in the neighborhoods with the highest mortality rates. In Washington Park, a predominantly Black neighborhood with a lower median income, women are about 1.5 times more likely to die from cervical cancer than women in neighboring Hyde Park, just across the street and home to the University of Chicago.

“The difference isn’t distance,” Dr. Thomas said. “It’s economics. It’s access. It’s whether the system is designed with you in mind.”

 At the 2026 Summit, Dr. Thomas shared insights on Chicago communities and the disproportionate cervical cancer outcomes they face.

We Are the Legacy: Black Cervivor Stories that Tell the Truth

Every statistic about cervical cancer has faces and families behind it. Here are just some stories from Black members of the Cervivor community: 

Shondria’s Story

Shondria Vaughns’s cervical cancer diagnosis forced her to make an unimaginable choice: giving up her dream of having more children to save her life. In 2008, she underwent a radical hysterectomy after a 1-centimeter tumor was discovered. Later, she learned that several women in her family had faced gynecologic cancers, underscoring the importance of knowing your medical history. Today, she shares her story to stress that awareness and regular Pap tests can protect lives.

Tukesia’s Story

At 44, Tukesia’s life changed suddenly when a severe hemorrhage led to a Stage IV cervical cancer diagnosis. After coding in the hospital from blood loss, she endured weeks of radiation, chemotherapy, and brachytherapy while fighting to stay strong for her family. The journey tested her physically and emotionally, but it also strengthened her faith and resolve. Now a 2025 Cervivor School graduate, she advocates for vaccination and reminds women that they are never alone. Watch this recent video on CervivorTV about Tukesia’s cervical cancer journey.

Urika’s Story

Urika Fraser faced not only cervical cancer, but also insurance barriers that delayed her treatment. Her doctor ultimately admitted her to the hospital to begin chemotherapy, even arranging radiation at no cost. She spent more than six weeks hospitalized and later underwent lung surgery after the cancer spread. Through it all, Urika remained determined to fight for her life and her three children.

Felicia’s Story

Felicia Fe Fea endured years of severe bleeding and repeated dismissal of her concerns, despite a history of abnormal Pap tests. After months of hemorrhaging and a blood transfusion, she underwent a hysterectomy, only to learn she had stage 2B cervical cancer. Her cervix was overtaken by a tumor that had gone undiagnosed. Today, she speaks out about the importance of self-advocacy and making sure patients are truly heard.

Each of these stories reveals something the data alone cannot convey. They reveal the emotional labor of self-advocacy, the exhaustion of navigating systems not designed with Black women in mind, and the resilience of survivors pushing forward — not only for themselves, but for those who will come after them.

Finding Community through Cervivor

Healing from cervical cancer and navigating survivorship are deeply emotional and cultural experiences. For Black women, that means having spaces where they do not have to explain or downplay who they are to be heard.

That is why Cervivor Noir exists. Our community for Black women impacted by cervical cancer creates space to speak openly about racism and bias in healthcare, fears around family and fertility, and the role faith, culture, and community play in survivorship. There is a private Facebook group, and virtual Cervivor Noir meetups are every third Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. EST (register for the next one here).

Tiera (top right) and members of Cervivor Noir at this month’s virtual meetup.

“It’s a place where someone can say, ‘This happened to me,’ and hear, ‘I believe you — I’ve been there,’” says Cervivor Founder and Chief Visionary Tamika Felder, who launched the organization 21 years ago after her own diagnosis. “When I went looking for support, I found no voices that looked or sounded like mine.”

Recently, Tamika reflected on this early journey in an interview with ESSENCE, sharing the very real barriers to care she faced as a freelance TV producer in Washington, D.C., without health insurance — circumstances that led her to put off regular screenings.

Cervivor Founder Tamika during her time as a freelance TV producer, when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

“I thought, ‘I don’t need it… if I get sick, I’ll just go to the emergency room,’” she told ESSENCE. As a result, she went several years without routine screenings and only discovered her cancer after a doctor treating her for a painful boil under her arm asked when she had last had a Pap test. By then, treatment was urgent. She needed a hysterectomy immediately, leaving no time — and no financial flexibility — to pursue fertility preservation.

For much of her adult life, Tamika believed that meant she would never have children. Since then, she has spoken openly about normalizing all fertility journeys — including what it’s like to be a Black mom to a non-Black toddler, her son, Chayton, the original “Cervivor Baby,” who was born through embryo donation and gestational surrogacy in November 2022.

Tamika’s lived experience — along with that of so many Black women and other women of color — is exactly why Cervivor’s events and programs are intentionally designed to center them, not merely include them. Through retreats, advocacy training, and community conversations, Cervivor is building spaces where Black survivors feel seen, supported, and empowered.

This Black History Month, we honor the Black women whose bodies and lives shaped modern gynecology and cancer research, often without consent or recognition. We also honor today’s Black Cervivors —Tiera, Shondria, Tukesia, Urika, and Felicia Fe Fea — who are turning their stories into blueprints for change and their communities into sources of strength.

When Black survivors’ voices are prioritized, we move closer to a future where cervical cancer is not another chapter in injustice, but a story of collective courage, community, and change.

About the Author

The image is a portrait of a young man with dark skin and short, curly black hair. He is wearing a blue collared shirt and black-framed glasses, and is smiling at the camera. The man has dark skin and short, curly black hair. His hair is cut close to his head, with a slight fade at the sides. His eyebrows are thick and well-groomed. He is wearing a blue collared shirt. The shirt is a medium blue color and appears to be made of a lightweight material. It has a relaxed fit and is buttoned up to the top. He is also wearing black-framed glasses. The frames are rectangular in shape and have a subtle curve at the temples. The lenses are clear and do not appear to have any tint or coating. The man is smiling at the camera. His smile is wide and genuine, showing off his white teeth. His eyes are crinkled at the corners, giving him a friendly and approachable appearance. The background of the image is a plain gray color. The gray is a medium tone, neither too light nor too dark. It provides a neutral backdrop that allows the subject to stand out. Overall, the image presents a friendly and approachable young man who appears to be confident and comfortable in front of the camera

Kyle Minnis is a recent graduate of Strategic Communications at the University of Kansas with a passion for digital media, storytelling, and audience engagement. He has experience in content strategy and media production. Kyle is especially interested in the intersection of media, branding, and digital growth.