221+ Patient Representative Caoimhe O’Neill Forde recently spoke to the Sunday Independent about why the HPV Vaccine is a vital, life altering and potentially life saving choice parents can make for their children this autumn (and 16+ can choose for themselves) via the Laura Brennan HPV vaccine schools catch-up programme.
Caoimhe notes
“The aim here is to be cervical cancer-free by 20401. Vaccinate your boys and your girls. I’d like to be the last generation that dies with cervical cancer. Let’s eradicate it.”
It is important to note that HPV is linked to 6 different cancers including cervical, throat, anal, penile, and vulval cancers. Girls and boys can protect themselves from cancer by getting the vaccine.
As a small percentage of cervical cancer are not HPV-related, even when vaccinated and attending cervical screening, it’s important to know your own body and know the symptoms. These can include unusual bleeding (between periods, during/after sex, after the menopause) or discharge (look for changes to colour, smell or texture) and pain in your pelvis/during sex2.
“Advocate for yourself. Get checked out. Get your smears. Don’t let the tragedies of the past stop you from getting your smears3“
Read the full article here: ‘My whole life would be different for the sake of one injection’: Cervical cancer survivor urges HPV uptake | Irish Independent
Her interview was also published in the Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Times.
- More info on the national cervical cancer elimination targets: Cervical Cancer Elimination ↩︎
- More info on cervical cancer symptoms: Cervical cancer symptoms ↩︎
- CervicalCheck now operates with HPV cervical screening – testing first for HPV, then looking for cell changes if a high risk strain of HPV is discovered. It is no longer using pap smears. More information here: Who cervical screening is for, what it is and steps involved ↩︎