Much health-related news that features in the tabloids is focused on the wrong things, or doesn’t deserve coverage at all. It’s often sensationalist drivel – clickbait headlines about miracle drugs and futuristic possibilities, based on flimsy scientific evidence. These stories always fizzle out by the next news cycle.
Meanwhile, there is a treatment that has been preventing cancer deaths for almost two decades, but is rarely given a shred of recognition. Research published this summer has revealed that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has effectively eradicated cervical cancer deaths in immunised young women in England.
HPV, though commonly mistaken for one singular virus, is actually a family of over 200 subtypes, which range from the innocuous to rarer cancer-causing strains. It typically spreads orally or through sexual activity that involves skin-to-skin contact. HPV is one of the most widespread sexually transmitted infections (STIs) globally: four in five UK adults will contract at least one variety.
Infection transmission rates peak in university-aged adults, as many students become sexually active. People often arrive on campus unvaccinated after missing the jab at school. Even though most will be infected at some stage, around 90 per cent of the time we will be none the wiser. In most cases, the virus is asymptomatic and the body can clear the infection independently. However, HPV’s inconspicuous infiltration of the body’s mucosal surfaces can be problematic if you are unfortunate enough to contract a harmful strain – it may only be discovered at a cervical screening or if it causes a cancer.
Luckily, this is no longer something most young women in the UK have to worry about, thanks to the HPV vaccine. Since rollout began in schools in 2008, the vaccine has been monumentally important in preventing HPV-related cervical cancer. A recent study by Queen Mary University has reported zero cervical cancer mortalities in women in their early twenties in England. They were able to quantify the number of lives saved: around 200 so far, which project leader Professor Peter Sasieni says is just the beginning: “As vaccinated generations grow older, we’ll see many more lives saved from cervical cancer.” In 2019, the vaccine was extended to boys and young adults, both to prevent the transmission of HPV to young women, and because HPV can result in numerous other malignancies besides cervical cancer. For example, there has been a recent uptick in HPV-associated throat cancer cases in men.
That said, the NHS’s battle with cervical cancer isn’t over yet, they aim to completely eliminate the disease by 2040. However, this may not be possible with the current vaccination uptake rate. Currently, only 76-86 per cent of girls under 15 have been vaccinated, possibly due to stigma around the ‘STI’ label, or fear and misinformation surrounding the vaccine itself. Therefore, while the HPV vaccine might not create the most buzz in TikToks and tabloids, it is important to promote positive findings, not just to spread hope, but to spread the message that cervical cancer can’t be eradicated without collective action.
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash
