Posted by Teenage girls will be urged to arm themselves against cervical cancer at Cabot Circus on Saturday when a nationwide roadshow visits the centre.
Visitors will be asked to strike a pose on a catwalk stage and have a photo taken with friends. A print will be given out for free along with key information and advice about the HPV vaccine.
The vaccine is being offered to all girls aged 12-18 and offers protection against the two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause over 70% of cases of cervical cancer.
There are more than 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer across the UK every year, causing 1,000 deaths. Vaccination has been estimated by the NHS to save about 400 lives a year.
HPV ambassadors and nursing teams from NHS Bristol will also be on hand to answer questions about the vaccine.
Dr Hugh Annett, director of public health at NHS Bristol, said: “The vaccine programme is important. This year we want to encourage all 12-18-year-old girls to have the vaccine. It could save their life.
“The roadshow is a great way of spreading awareness about the HPV vaccine, as well as an opportunity to bring girls together in the fight against cervical cancer.”
About 1.4 million doses of the vaccine have been given since the start of the vaccination programme last September.
Girls will be contacted by their school, college or local NHS before the vaccination is due. Girls aged 12-16 will need to have a consent form signed by their parent or guardian, giving permission for the vaccination to be given. Girls aged 16 or older will be able to consent to having the vaccine without parental permission.
The fight against the disease has been given greater impetus this year following the death of reality TV star Jade Goody in March.
The Big Brother star’s seven-month fight drew national attention and has been credited with a rise of nearly half a million women going to their GPs for smear tests to catch the disease in early stages.
Further reading
Check out the book “The HPV Vaccine Controversy: Sex, Cancer, God and Politics” authored by Shobha S. Krishnan, M.D, Barnard college, Columbia University. It is written without the influence of any pharmaceutical companies or special interest groups. The book educates both professionals and the public about HPV infections, the diseases they cause and the role/ controversies surrounding the new vaccines. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, June 17th 2009) calls the book superb and a terrific contribution to the field. It is available at amazon.com, Barnes and Noble .com and through international distributors.
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