HPV Vaccination
Cervical Cancer Prevention
Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women in India, causing over 70,000 deaths annually, and it's most common cause is HPV.
However, it can be prevented with HPV vaccination.
The general recommendation is 2 doses for kids 9 to 14 years old and 3 doses for people 15 through 26. Usually, for a 2 dose schedule, the second dose is given 6 to 12 months after the first. So, its best for kids to get vaccinated between 9-15 years old.
What is the HPV Vaccine?
HPV is the most common STI (sexually-transmitted infection), with 604,000 new cases in 2020 alone.
The most widespread effect of contracting a high-risk strain of HPV, such as HPV 16 or HPV 18, is getting cervical cancer.
It can be easily spread through direct sexual contact, from the skin and mucous membranes of infected people to the skin and mucous membranes of their partners. It doesn’t have a cure, so a preventative vaccine is highly recommended.
The HPV vaccine has been extensively tested and has been shown to be safe and effective. The vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other leading health organizations.
Vaccination
Our goal is to spread awareness of cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine in India, as well as set up a program to vaccinate school students. This sets the foundation for a healthy and successful future for these students. We raised funds to support a vaccination camp in July 2023, vaccinating over 200 students, and are now fundraising to administer the second dose in a follow-up camp in December.
Education
The first step to improving HPV vaccination rates is to educate others on its importance. People deserve to be able to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing, and knowledge about helps remove the stigma associated with STIs and makes people more inclined to seek treatment.
A trip to India in November 2022, where we reached out to schools and taught students about HPV vaccination and cervical cancer
Vaccination Camp
In July 2023, we traveled to India to administer the first dose of the HPV vaccine to registered students. In all, we vaccinated over 200 students, who will receive a second dose in December 2023. These students will then be completely vaccinated for HPV, and they will have extremely low chances of contracting cervical cancer and other HPV-induced illnesses in the future.