YOU, ME & HPV
MISSION STATEMENT
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a disease that adversely impacts millions of men, women, and adolescents. However, prevention is possible. Despite a safe and efficacious HPV vaccine, vaccine hesitancy, accessibility, and social stigmas prevent necessary levels of immunity.
The fictitious stories on this website will personalize the doubts, fears, and struggles related to the virus and vaccine. Each character's narrative, informed by extensive research, will exemplify the key barriers to receiving the HPV vaccine.
The battle against HPV is personal, but it takes a community to stop it. This platform aspires to amplify various perspectives and voices involved. We hope to tackle dangerous misconceptions surrounding the HPV vaccine and drive conversations about the virus in our community forum. In doing so, we aim to both reduce the incidence and stigma of HPV.
HPV Controversy
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that infects 80% of sexually active adults by the time they reach the age of 45. HPV is the single most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) and causes the majority of cervical cancers, as well as a significant proportion of several other types of cancers. Despite the development of an effective vaccine against cancer-causing HPV infections, the virus continues to be transmitted.
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Currently, only 51% of teenagers in the United States are fully vaccinated against HPV. This low vaccination rate can be attributed to the barriers such as societal stigma, misinformation, accessibility, autonomy, and vaccination policies,
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Proportion of Sexually Active Adults that Contract HPV
Click on a character below and read about their personal experience with the HPV vaccine. After exploring the character’s webpage, scroll to the bottom and click to return home. Repeat until you’ve gotten to know all five characters. Each narrative will highlight different barriers to HPV vaccination; together, these stories exhibit the full scope of the controversy.
OUR STORIES
Dr. Laura Carswell currently serves as the Vice President of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In a letter to members of the AAP, Carswell reminds pediatricians of their critical role in promoting HPV vaccination rates. Her background combines pediatrics and vaccinology, so her opinion on the HPV vaccine controversy warrants acknowledgement.
Dr. Laura Carswell
Olivia is a 12 year old girl living in Kansas City, Missouri with her two parents. Her family is very religious and she attends St. Margaret's Catholic Middle School. Abigail has just reached the age of eligibility for the HPV vaccine and is interested in learning about the vaccine and whether it is something she wants for herself. She writes about her journey to obtain the vaccine in her journal, focusing on the cultural and societal barriers to getting vaccinated from a young person’s perspective.
Olivia Gray
Annie Muir is a 38 year old mother, primary care physician, and cervical cancer survivor in a rural California town. She is dedicated to building trusting relationships with her patients, who are often members of families that she grew up with. She chronicles the history of her life in parallel with the history of anti-HPV-vaccination sentiments. Throughout, she questions how to be the best physician and community member, and what to do when those roles conflict.
Annie Muir
Kyle is a 15 year-old high school student. He is not yet vaccinated with the Gardasil vaccine, however, is navigating various sources to assess whether or not he should. He has a personal connection to HPV, as his brother, Kieran, was infected in his time in college. His research and thoughts on the vaccine below, is captured in a series of blog entries.
Kyle Reed
Shola is an African American single mother who while on a walk with her friend Raven became aware of what HPV was and the importance behind being vaccinated. She is concerned for her oldest daughter Nia, who recently told her that she was ready to be sexually active with her boyfriend.
Shola Robinson
*The names, characters, and stories depicted below are fictitious. These narratives have been imagined by the authors with the intent of situating the HPV controversy in a realistic, relatable framework*