Are You Ready? March 4 is International HPV Awareness Day |
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International HPV Awareness Day, held annually on March 4th and led by the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS), aims to reduce the global burden of HPV by raising awareness, promoting HPV vaccination, encouraging cancer screening, and advancing efforts in support of timely diagnostic care and treatment. The campaign, which started in 2018, emphasizes that while HPV is common and may be harmless, it causes six types of cancers and other conditions, which are almost entirely preventable through on-time HPV vaccination.
Anytime is a good time to promote HPV vaccination for cancer prevention. Take advantage of this international spotlight to shine a bright light on HPV cancer prevention.
In this special communication from the HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, we provide information and resources to promote HPV Awareness Day. |
What are you doing to celebrate International HPV Awareness Day? Email us at PreventHPV@stjude.org to let us know. |
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St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program Celebrates Five Years |
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On International HPV Awareness Day, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program celebrates our five‑year anniversary—an important milestone that reflects the dedication of St. Jude to cancer prevention. We celebrate five years of action, reach, and impact.
Five years ago, our program committed to increasing HPV vaccination coverage to prevent HPV cancers in adulthood. Our program’s local, regional, and national work centers around three key questions:
1. How can our program galvanize existing successful efforts that may be otherwise limited by reach and resources?
2. How can our program contribute to emergent efforts?
3. How can our program have an impact by increasing HPV vaccination coverage?
We believe education, best practice models, and strategic partner engagement are critical to achieve increases in on-time HPV vaccination by the 13th birthday for all children. We have focused our efforts on using what works with a foundation of doing this with partners and while prioritizing equity. Our team members have built relationships and coordinated partnerships, which are nurtured and sustained to further our reach and impact. We support the efforts of our partners as much as introducing new efforts where needed.
Our program has the following major initiatives to increase HPV vaccination coverage. |
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Our program also works to counter misinformation and build vaccine confidence. HPV vaccine hesitancy is one of the biggest threats to HPV cancer prevention. We recognize the essential role of health care providers and the impact of a strong provider recommendation. We also know that favorable policies support higher vaccination coverage. We acknowledge there are inequities in HPV vaccination, and we strive to remove and mitigate barriers to HPV vaccination and support HPV cancer prevention for everyone. We are inspired by those with lived experiences who strengthen our resolve to eliminate HPV cancers starting with cervical cancer as a public health concern. |
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Danny Thomas, the founder of St. Jude, once said, “Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.” |
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This philosophy guides our team and partners in advancing HPV cancer prevention. We have convened thousands of people and partners sharing our commitment, developed infrastructure and established resources in support of promoting HPV vaccination coverage, and increased HPV vaccination coverage – notably a nearly 15 percent increase in HPV vaccination in Shelby County over the last five years. Through the Southeast Roundtable, we released the first regional elimination plan in the U.S. and only the second plan nationally. And there is so much more success to celebrate!
In our program, we envision a world free of HPV cancers—a vision for everyone. Our success depends on protecting today’s children against tomorrow’s HPV cancers. We look forward to even greater reach and impact in the next five years.
HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. |
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Members of the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program team in fall 2025 |
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St. Jude HPV Awareness Day 2026 Seminar Series |
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The 2026 HPV Awareness Day Seminar Series provides an opportunity to recognize progress, celebrate partnerships, and renew our shared commitment to eliminating HPV cancers. This year’s seminars spotlight the primary programming of the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program, reflecting the dedication and collaboration that continues to support increases in HPV vaccination coverage for all children.
Throughout the series, viewers gain insight into our program’s impact with partners and communities, including efforts to advance HPV cancer prevention with rural populations—where access to protection should never depend on geography. The seminars also highlight regional collaboration through the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast, a coalition spanning 12 states and two jurisdictions that developed the first regional HPV cancer elimination plan in the United States.
The series further underscores progress through the Memphis and Shelby County HPV Cancer Prevention Roundtable, which has contributed to a nearly 15% increase in HPV vaccination coverage over the past five years. In addition, Survivor Proud—created by patient families for patient families—demonstrates how survivorship-focused initiatives encourage HPV vaccination among childhood cancer survivors to help prevent future cancers.
Recordings of the seminars in the series are available at stjude.org/HAD2026 beginning March 4. We encourage you to take time to view and share them as we continue building momentum toward a future free from HPV cancers. In addition, our director – Heather Brandt – provides highlights of our program’s five years of work to increase HPV vaccination coverage locally, regionally, and nationally. |
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Data, Delivery, and Dialogue: Drivers Strengthening HPV Prevention in Rural America
This seminar provides an overview of the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program’s rural initiative and showcase our strategic approach to advancing HPV vaccination in rural communities. Our priorities are organized around three practical drivers—data, delivery, and dialogue—which together create a comprehensive framework that strengthens prevention efforts, expands equitable access, and fosters meaningful community engagement across rural areas. |
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Within Reach: Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination Across the Southeast U.S.
This seminar highlights efforts to eliminate HPV cancers—starting with cervical cancer as a public health priority—and will feature the HPV Vaccination Roundtable of the Southeast. In September 2025, this coalition released the first regional HPV cancer elimination plan in the United States, marking a major step forward in coordinated prevention efforts across the Southeast. |
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It’s Our Way in Memphis: Advancing HPV Cancer Prevention Together
This seminar spotlights efforts to advance HPV cancer prevention in Memphis and Shelby County by exploring local data trends, sharing effective communication strategies, and emphasizing the power of collaborative community partnerships. |
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Stronger Together: Caring for Childhood Cancer Survivors Across the Lifespan
This seminar provides an overview of Survivor Proud highlighting the importance of survivorship, preventive care, and actionable strategies to support childhood cancer survivors in reducing future cancer risk and thriving throughout their lifespan. |
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Community Outreach and Engagement of NCI-designated Cancer Centers Take on HPV Cancer Prevention
This seminar highlights the NCI-Designated Cancer Centers Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) perspective on HPV prevention, featuring three key initiatives highlighted throughout the series. In addition, we will provide important context about the funding opportunity that helped advance this work. |
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Learn more about the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program at stjude.org/HPV and access HPV Awareness Day recordings starting on March 4 at stjude.org/HAD2026. |
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One Less Worry: International HPV Awareness Day Campaign 2026 |
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World Cancer Day on February 4 marked the official launch of the International HPV Awareness Campaign 2026, under the theme “One Less Worry”, which culminates on March 4, International HPV Awareness Day. All voices are needed to raise awareness of HPV and related diseases.
The International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) has a library of great resources available for your organization to use and share as part your efforts to bring attention to these preventable HPV-related cancers.
Over the last couple of years, the IPVS campaign network has found a great recipe for engaging people - personal HPV stories from real HPV cancer survivors, told in their own language, closing with a clear call to action to get informed, get vaccinated, and get screened. Building on this formula IPVS is capturing and sharing more stories of lived experience from HPV cancer survivors and their family members to help spread the word about HPV and inspire action.
Three easy things to do to support the International HPV Awareness Campaign 2026.
- Access and Use Information: Access and use the International HPV Awareness Campaign 2026 campaign guide and access campaign resources.
- Share Your Story: Share an inspiring HPV story from AskAboutHPV.org on your preferred communication channels (email, Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn). Please add the hashtags #OneLessWorry and #AskAboutHPV to your messages so we can track your impact.
- Get Social: Share an HPV fact or build a social post with the social post builder.
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| Learn More |
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1. Access and Use the International HPV Awareness Day Resources from the International Papillomavirus Society |
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While International HPV Awareness Day takes place annually on March 4th, building international awareness and action takes year-round commitment. All International HPV Awareness Day resources are available to use at any time. The resources in this toolkit were developed for the One Less Worry Campaign in 2025 yet remain viable. Users are welcome to adapt resources to respond to local languages, priorities and cultural contexts. Materials should remain consistent with the overall messaging of the campaign and that global data is consistent with the International Papillomavirus Society source materials. Send resources you develop and use to hpvday@kenes.com to add to the resources available. |
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2. Share Your Story: Why Does HPV Vaccination Matter to You |
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Get informed and inspired by stories from the HPV campaign network. HPV affects everyone, either directly or indirectly. These stories highlight the impact of HPV on individuals, the importance of action and the work that is being done around the world to prevent HPV-related cancers.
Share an inspiring HPV story from AskAboutHPV.org on your preferred communication channels (email, Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn). Please add the hashtags #OneLessWorry and #AskAboutHPV to your messages so we can track your impact.
Check out these powerful stories for inspiration. |
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3. Get Social: Share an HPV Fact Online |
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Share an HPV fact or build a social post with the social post builder.
As part of the International Papillomavirus Society campaign, HPV facts for everyone have already been created for your use. Facts for women, LGBTQ+, people living with HIV, parents, young people, and males are all available for use. Each fact can easily be shared using the built-in share function on the webpage. |
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| Access HPV Facts for Everyone |
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To facilitate engagement with members, influencers and the general public, a user-friendly social post builder is available on AskAboutHPV.org. Create a message in your own language and be sure to direct your locally recruited influencers to this online tool and share the link on social media.
Share personal social post on your preferred communication channels (email, Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn). Please add the hashtags #OneLessWorry and #AskAboutHPV to your messages so we can track your impact. |
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About the HPV Cancer Prevention Program |
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. That is why St. Jude is raising awareness on vaccination for HPV, which can prevent six types of cancer caused by the virus. As the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated solely to children, St. Jude has an important role and responsibility in increasing the number of children who benefit from the HPV vaccination and reducing their risk of preventable cancers later in life.
On-time HPV vaccination provides safe, effective, and long-lasting protection against the most common types of HPV linked to cancers. HPV vaccination is routinely recommended at age 11 or 12 years and may be started at age 9. HPV vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 9-26. It’s not too late to catch up on HPV vaccination. People ages 27-45 are also strongly encouraged to talk with a health care provider to see if HPV vaccination is right for them.
HPV vaccination has been routinely recommended by health care professionals in the U.S. since 2006. Most children can receive an HPV vaccination at no cost, and it can be administered safely along with other routine vaccinations. With more than 500 million doses administered worldwide, HPV vaccinations are preventing new cases of cancer every day.
It’s not too late to help protect your child against HPV cancers later in life - learn more at stjude.org/PreventHPV and ask your doctor about HPV vaccination today. Email PreventHPV@stjude.org with any questions. |
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