Young Researchers: Shaping the Fight Against Cervical Cancer

Together We Prevent: Youth-Led Participatory Action on HPV

So, how can we help ensure the health and well-being of our communities? 

At Healthwatch Greenwich, we firmly believe that those with lived experiences are best placed to help tackle this question. In partnership with the South East London Cancer Alliance, we are actively engaging with young people as equal partners to co-design tailored and sustainable solutions that directly address the challenges they face in accessing the vaccine. Through this joint effort, we aim to empower young people, increase their engagement with health initiatives, and ultimately boost the acceptance and uptake of the HPV vaccine within their communities. Together, we can take meaningful steps towards increasing vaccine coverage and protecting future generations. 

Why It Matters

Unlike many cancers, cervical cancer is almost completely preventable. 

So much so that our country, alongside 193 others worldwide, have pledged to eradicate the disease as a public health threat entirely by 2040. Yet, in the UK, we continue to see women diagnosed with this deadly disease. The leading culprit behind these cases: human papillomavirus (HPV), a leading cause of genital cancers worldwide. 

HPV is one of the most commonly transmitted viruses spread through skin-to-skin contact. While there are numerous public health programmes designed to curb the spread of HPV- most notably, the highly effective HPV vaccine- not all communities are being equally reached by these programmes. 

Research shows that people from global majority backgrounds and those living in the most deprived areas are less likely to have the vaccine due to a range of complex barriers faced by our communities. As a result, health inequalities continue to widen where they shouldn’t.