Share
 
                                    November 13, 2023
You have the power to prevent cancer.

November 16 is National Rural Health Day. Rural life is a choice made by 1 in 5 people, but they don’t choose to be at higher risk of cancers, including HPV cancers. People living in rural communities have the power to prevent cancer through HPV vaccination. The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program is committed to addressing disparities in rural HPV vaccination coverage. We are working with people living in rural communities to understand how to change the pattern and then act to improve on low HPV vaccination rates and high HPV cancer rates.

We want to ask you to join our efforts. Register for our quarterly update on progress in improving rural HPV vaccination on November 29 from 1-2 p.m. Central Time. The meeting will include presentations by representatives from St. Jude, American Cancer Society, and National HPV Vaccination Roundtable. By collaborating, innovating, and strategizing, we can make a significant impact on the health and well-being of rural communities.

In this special communication, we have included social media posts that are ready for you to use. If you have any issues accessing in this newsletter, please go to stjude.org/hpvrural to download the images. We hope you will share them – and also post your own. Use #EndHPVcancers and #PowerofRural hashtags with your social posts.

We also want to encourage you to access and share the following rural HPV vaccination resources:

Do you have rural HPV vaccination or rural HPV cancer prevention resources that you would like for us to share or feature? Please share with us at PreventHPV@stjude.org.

Do you want to learn more about national efforts to enhance rural health? Register for The Power of Rural in Action: CDC and State Strategies for Rural Health on November 16 from 2-3 p.m. Central Time.

Email PreventHPV@stjude.org with any questions. Learn more at stjude.org/hpvrural. Join the rural listserv here.
Heather M. Brandt, PhD
Director, HPV Cancer Prevention Program
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Keep rural communities strong.

Rural communities in the U.S. are strong and self-reliant. They also face challenges related to their health and wellbeing. Work remains to ensure children in these areas are protected against HPV cancers. On-time HPV vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 9-12.
Rural areas are home to 1 in 5 Americans and reflect strong values:
  • Strong sense of community
  • Resilient and hard-working
  • Independent and self-reliant
Rural communities are at higher risk for HPV cancers.

About 50 million Americans live in rural areas. Due to 15% lower HPV vaccination rates compared to urban populations, these communities also see an increased number of HPV cancers. It’s simple: increasing HPV vaccination rates today in rural areas will prevent HPV cancers in the future. This is a huge opportunity for impact. We must do more to make sure those living in rural America are protected.
Opportunity for Impact: Increasing HPV vaccination in rural areas can prevent tens of thousands of HPV cancer diagnoses. Keeping more people living in rural communities free from HPV cancers.

We can’t overlook our rural neighbors.

Improving HPV vaccination with rural communities is critical. We can see the clear disparities between rural and urban populations. We must work to close that gap and ensure those living in rural communities have the same opportunities for health care and prevention. Healthcare professionals in rural areas play a vital role in community health. Providers need to encourage patients and their families to consider the HPV vaccine to help prevent cancer.
Challenges to Rural HPV Vaccination:
  • Less access to care
  • Lack of specialists
  • Transportation challenges
  • Mistrust or misinformation
  • Not an individual priority
Let’s accelerate HPV vaccination rates in rural communities.

We must work with people living in rural areas to understand how to change the pattern of low HPV vaccination rates and high HPV cancer rates. We need to meet these communities where they are to change this trajectory. People living in rural communities have the power to choose HPV cancer prevention. Here are some ways healthcare providers can help:
  • Recommend HPV vaccination with other recommended vaccines like Tdap and flu
  • Inform patients about the link between HPV and six types of cancer
  • Provide personal examples and clear answers
  • Increase access to accurate, meaningful information
  • Build relationships with the people and organizations these communities trust
Preventive care is even more important for people in rural areas, as they are less likely to have regular health screenings.
The bottom line: HPV vaccination is cancer prevention in rural areas too.

Vaccination can prevent a huge percentage of the nearly 40,000 HPV cancer diagnoses each year. This is especially true in rural communities where vaccination rates are lower and HPV cancer rates are higher. We must encourage providers, patients, families, friends, and loved ones to get vaccinated against HPV — it’s safe, it works, and it lasts a lifetime.

This National Rural Health Day, share the facts: HPV vaccination prevents HPV cancers in rural communities across the U.S. People living in rural areas have the power to prevent HPV cancers through HPV vaccination.
National Rural Health Day Social Media Posts

Are you on Facebook? Instagram? LinkedIn? Share and use these social media posts on National Rural Health Day on November 16 to increase awareness about HPV vaccination in rural America. If you have any issues accessing these social media assets, visit stjude.org/hpvrural to download or email PreventHPV@stjude.org. Use #EndHPVcancers and #PowerofRural hashtags with your social posts.
You have the power to prevent cancer.

HPV can lead to six types of cancer. The good news? HPV vaccination prevents almost all cases of HPV cancers. Ask your doctor about HPV vaccination — it’s safe, it works, and it lasts a lifetime.
It’s safe. It works. It’s long-lasting.

HPV vaccination can prevent over 90% of HPV cancers. It’s safe and works to prevent HPV cancers after more than 17 years of monitoring and research. You can help prevent cancer by ensuring your loved ones are vaccinated against HPV. Talk with your doctor today about HPV vaccination.
Vaccinate on-time. Vaccinate for life.

You can help prevent cancer by encouraging loved ones to get vaccinated against HPV. On-time HPV vaccination is recommended for children aged 9-12 years old. HPV vaccination is safe and works. Talk with your doctor today about HPV vaccination.
About the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program

The vision of the HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a world free of HPV cancers. The program aims to reduce HPV cancer deaths locally and nationally by increasing on-time HPV vaccination coverage through education, promoting best practice models, and strategic partner engagement locally, regionally, and nationally. The program is committed to ensuring equitable access to HPV cancer prevention, which includes a specific focus on geographic disparities in the southeastern United States and in rural communities. Learn more about the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program at stjude.org/hpv. Contact the program at PreventHPV@stjude.org for more information.
Share this email:
Facebook
  
Twitter
  
Linkedin
  
Email
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105
United States

Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe | View Online
Subscribe to receive our future emails.

This email was sent to: karlisa.cryer@stjude.org
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.

Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign