vaccination

It’s time to stop leaving women behind when it comes to cervical cancer screening – USA Today

March has been a crazy busy month for Cervivor and for the visibility of cervical cancer prevention. An international awareness day! An editorial in a national newspaper! A piece of legislation introduced in Congress! As the month draws to a close, here is a recap:

An International Awareness Day

Text Description automatically generated

The month kicked off with International HPV Awareness Day on March 4. The day featured online events, press conferences, webinars and more taking place around the world.

The awareness day may have come and gone, but the International Papillomavirus Society, the official sponsors of the day, have terrific posters and visuals you can download and share at any time. Their graphics can be be a great addition to your social media feeds!

An Editorial in a National Newspaper: USA Today

Graphical user interface, text, application, email Description automatically generated

Also in March, USA Today featured an editorial on the importance of cervical cancer prevention co-authored by Cervivor founder Tamika Felder and Anna Giuliano, Ph.D., the founding director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research In Cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center. The editorial highlighted the need for more proactive screening in uninsured/underserved communities and expressed frustration at the lowering of cervical cancer screening goals in the recently-released “Healthy People 2030” national public health initiative. The editorial offered a strong call to action: 

“Decades of groundbreaking research have provided the tools to eliminate cervical cancer. Yet, every two hours a woman in the U.S. dies of this preventable cancer. It is time to stop leaving women behind and work collectively to get every woman, regardless of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, up to date with cervical cancer screening. Let’s create a national goal to achieve cervical cancer elimination, a strategy for the U.S. to accomplish this goal and a revision of the Healthy People 2030 objectives.”

Share the article on your social media feeds. Make sure to highlight your personal passion for this issue and your involvement with Cervivor!

Legislation Introduced in Congress

Text, letter Description automatically generated

The “Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New Treatments for HPV (PREVENT HPV) Cancers Act”  was introduced in Congress in March.  Cervivor was quoted in the press release announcing the bill. This legislation would, if enacted in the future, address many of the education and health equity needs surrounding cervical cancer prevention.

Our voices and our stories and our advocacy will be important to move this bill forward. The introduction of a piece of legislation is only the start of a long chain of legislative steps that can ultimately lead to bill passage (or not). Bill passage can take years. Bills can get folded into other legislation. Bills can get debated by committee but never elevated to the House or Senate floor for a vote. In this case, the bill was sent to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, but so far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. Senate. So there is a long road ahead… 

On the other hand, the introduction of a bill is itself a win! It means that members of Congress and their staff are paying attention to this issue, and Congressional attention can translate to media attention and enhanced media coverage. It means that there will be future conversations as the Congressional sponsors seek other co-signers and supporters. We at Cervivor, are in it for the long haul, advocating and  sharing our stories.

But Mom, I don’t want a shot – HPV Vaccine in my Family

1 Week Prior to Doctor Appointment

Zoe: “I don’t want to get a shot. Will I have to get a shot?”

Me: “Yes, you will have to get at least one shot.”

Zoe: “I DON’T WANT TO GET A SHOT! Why? Why do I have to get a shot?”

Me: “To keep you healthy.”

Zoe: “But I don’t want to get a shot!”

Repeat, at least twice an hour, all waking hours.

1 Day Prior to Doctor Appointment

Zoe: “Mama, please! Please, I don’t want to get a shot. Why, do I need a shot?”

Me: “To keep you healthy. I know you don’t want one. No one wants to get a shot. But it is important.”

Zoe: “But why? WHY? I’ll do anything. Please I don’t want to get a shot!”

Me: “It isn’t negotiable. You have to get a shot to keep you healthy. “

Zoe: “Please! I don’t want a shot!”

Repeat, at least 4 times an hour, all waking hours.

Day of the Doctor Appointment, In the Car, On the Way There

Zoe: “Why? Why?! Why, do I have to get a shot? Can I please not get it?”

 

It was then that I opted to pull the car to the side of the road. I felt exasperated, annoyed, and exhausted by this discussion. My daughter has just turned 11 and we are on the way to her well child exam, where I know she will be the recipient of at least 1 shot. I know this because, at 11 years old, she is now eligible to receive the HPV vaccination. I know that I will be requiring this vaccination for her.

My daughter was just 8 years old when I was diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer. I never told her that I had cancer. I never used the actual word cancer to describe what I was going through. I was concerned that it would cause her more fear than I wanted for her. So, I told both her, and her 6 year old brother, that I was sick. That I had a problem in my tummy, and would point to my lower abdomen. I told them I would have to have surgeries and take medicine that seemed to make me sicker, but was actually helping me to get better. Each of my young children watched me suffer through chemotherapy, internal, and external radiation, 4 surgeries, multiple ER visits and many hospital stays.

What I went through fuels the effortless decision to get my daughter the HPV vaccination.

HPV is the cause for cervical cancer. Statistics show at least 80% of people will contract at least one strand of HPV during their lifetime. Most people will fight off this virus on their own. Others will not be so lucky, and the HPV will cause precancerous or cancerous cells to grow. It was time to have a conversation, on the side of the road heading into the Dr office.

Me: “Do you remember when I was sick? Do you remember how much pain I was in and how you had to visit me in the hospital? Do you remember that when you visited me I had a needle in my arm? That needle had to stay there. For days. For almost a week. I had to sleep with it in my arm. Do you remember how hard it was for all of us? How we had to leave our apartment and live with Grandma and Grandpa? How I couldn’t take care of you?” I hate reminding her of this. I hate reminding myself of this. I wonder if this is the right thing to say. “This shot they are going to give you today, the one you don’t want, it will protect you from getting the sickness I had. This shot will protect you so you won’t have to go through the sickness that I had. This shot will prevent you from possibly needing many others and getting poked with many more needles. That is why you have to get it. That is why it is not a choice. That is why we are doing it.”

Zoe: “Then why didn’t you get it when you were a kid?”

Me: “Doctors didn’t have this shot when I was kid. I wish they had, but they didn’t. You are lucky that they have it now. You are lucky to be able to get this shot!”

Zoe: “Will Isaac have to get it?”

Me: “100%.”

 

As for Isaac, he is currently 9 years old. My insurance will cover him receiving the HPV vaccination when he turns 11. He will, 100%, be getting this vaccination as well.

The choice to vaccinate my son against HPV is just as uncomplicated and straightforward as the choice to vaccinate my daughter. Almost every person who is sexually active will become infected with HPV at some point in their lives, if they do not receive the vaccination they will be left at risk for the high risk cancer causing strands of HPV. “Most men who get HPV never develop symptoms and the infection usually goes away completely by itself. However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause genital warts or certain kinds of cancer,” (cdc.gov). Someday, my 9-year-old son will have a partner. Someday he will be sexually active. I want to protect not only my son, but his future partner as well so deciding to treat with medication was a must. HPV is spread through skin to skin contact, so even if he and his partner practice safe sex, there is a high likelihood, that if not vaccinated he would spread HPV. HPV can cause not only cervical cancer in women, but penile cancer, anal cancer, vulvar cancer, and oral cancers. While women can be screened during their annual pap exams for HPV, there is no test for HPV in men, and usually, men who carry HPV show no sign or symptoms of the virus. He would never know if he had the virus. So, my son, if not vaccinated, would unknowingly be passing this virus on to his partner, and could potentially be at risk for cancer himself.

Many people wish for a cure for cancer. People discuss and post prayers and thoughts for cures all the time. But, we have a vaccination now that can prevent specific types of cancer from ever occurring! Isn’t that better than a cure? If you could prevent your child from having to suffer, why would you ever make the choice not to? The risks for the HPV vaccination are negligible, especially when compared to the likelihood of contracting the virus, and the horribleness of actual cancer treatments. Choosing to vaccinate both my daughter and my son against HPV is a no brainer.

In the doctor’s office

Zoe: “I don’t want to get this shot, but I know I have to.”

Me: “Yes. You have to, because I love you to the moon and back, and I never ever want you to be as sick as I was.”

 

I know I will say the same thing to my son when it is his turn to get the HPV vaccination.

Do you have questions about HPV and the HPV vaccine? Take a look at these resources for more information.

Cervivor: https://cervivor.org/hpv-and-cervical-cancer/understanding-hpv/

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv-and-men.htm

Read more about Ana here: https://cervivor.org/stories/ana/