The HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation

On HPV Awareness Day, 4^th March 2019, HPVACF Director David Winterflood were invited onto BBC News to discuss human papillomavirus and the vaccine that protects against it. This was in response to a piece around HPV vaccination rates in BAME girls in the UK being much lower than the rest of the population.

It was a timely opportunity to raise awareness as to how we can prevent 5% of cancers by vaccinating both boys and girls, especially in the light of a recently published study around awareness about HPV and attitudes towards it from across Europe, including the UK.

The survey of some 15,000 adults aged 16 to 60 years from a sample of countries from Northern and Southern Europe where HPV vaccine is recommended, presented some alarming statistics:

— OVER A THIRD OF RESPONDENTS ARE UNAWARE OF HPV

— LESS THAN HALF OF RESPONDENTS ARE AWARE OF THE LINK OF HPV TO CANCER

— A LOW LEVEL OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVE BOTH MALES AND FEMALES ARE EQUALLY AT RISK OF CONTRACTING HPV, AGAIN HIGHLIGHTING A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

— ONLY 1 IN 3 RESPONDENTS AGREE THAT HPV CAN CAUSE CANCER IN MALES

Overall Italy, Portugal and Spain had the best awareness about HPV and its link to cancer; at the other end of the scale Austria, Germany and Switzerland performed poorly despite the vaccine being available to both boys and girls in those countries.

UK participants in the survey returned the following results:

— AWARE OF HPV: 56%

— AWARE OF LINK BETWEEN HPV AND CANCER: 38%

— AWARE THAT HPV CAUSED CANCER IN MEN: 28%

The lack of awareness of HPV and the diseases it causes is a striking reminder of the work that remains to be done in educating people across Europe of the risks of HPV, and the need to vaccinate both boys and girls against the virus in order to protect them against HPV-related cancers. NOMAN will continue to work to raise awareness around this virus and how we can protect our sons and daughters.

With 2019 looming on the horizon NOMAN are gearing up for our largest ever event to raise awareness of the HPV-related cancer epidemic in men and women, and advocate for gender neutral HPV vaccination.

HPV is the causal agent of 5% of cancers and it is estimated that 80% of the population will have an HPV infection at some point in their lifetime. The majority of people infected by HPV will not experience any serious health issues, but if the virus does not resolve, it can lead to other, more serious diseases. In most countries however, only girls are given the vaccine despite boys also being at risk. We will not stop until every country is vaccinating both boys and girls against this devastating virus.

The BARCELONA – IBIZA and IBIZA – BARCELONA races are NOMAN’s exclusive ocean rowing races. Teams of amateur rowers are pitted against each other in a three day race across the Mediterranean. Rowing across an ocean or sea is like no other sport. An ocean row is as much about the crews' ability to cope mentally as it is about technique and physical strength. From just 2 crews in 2013, our biennial event has grown to 12 crews taking to the water in 2019, to end the needless suffering caused by human papillomavirus. The funds and awareness generate by this event are crucial in enabling us to advocate for gender neutral HPV vaccination programmes as we achieved this year in the UK through HPV Action, co-founded by our parent charity the HPV and Anal Cancer Foundation in 2013.

How can my business support NOMAN in 2019?

There's a myriad of ways you can give to support us in the year ahead, and to help end the 5% of cancers caused by HPV. No gift is too small. Thank you.

GIVE THROUGH YOUR SALES

5% of every sale you make in January

GIVE WHEN YOU SUCCEED

2% of every placement made during the year

GIVE THROUGH YOUR FEES

£5 for each quote that turns into an order

GIVE A DAY

On 6^th March 2019 we will be celebrating International HPV Awareness Day. Could you give 100% of this day’s earnings to help us attain our goal?

DONATE EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT OUR RACE

Could your business provide a gift in kind to support us? Our core needs are food, insurance and transportation in order to stage the event. Contact us at hq@nomancampaign.org if you wish to discuss opportunities.

Dear friends,

Eight years ago we started a journey. After seeing our mother Paulette pass away from cancer caused by HPV, the causal agent of 5% of all cancers, we resolved to eradicate the virus via universal vaccination, and prevent needless suffering in the process.

In July, on the 5 year anniversary of our inaugural NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV, the UK Public Health Minister Steve Brine announced in Parliament that the government will introduce a nation-wide HPV vaccination program for adolescent boys. It is a massive milestone in our campaign and a huge win for cancer prevention advocates everywhere.

Following the advice of the JCVI, 400,000 UK previously-unprotected boys will now start receiving the same HPV vaccine that was previously provided only to girls. Thank you to all of our supporters, friends, donors who believed in us over the years and especially those NOMEN who bled, sweated, and battled mother nature to raise awareness about this obvious global inequity.

With over 20 countries now vaccinating both boys and girls against HPV, we have made incredible progress together in a short period of time. Seven years ago we successfully achieved the same result in the US, our first of many victories.

We’re not stopping here. We believe this event to be a major catalyst for other European countries such as Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain who are yet to adopt gender-neutral vaccination. If you want to help, we require contacts in local and regional media, government, medicine, or other relevant stakeholders, to accelerate the process. For the more adventurous, we’re on the hunt for NOMEN for next year’s Race to End HPV Barcelona-to-Ibiza race!

We’ll keep fighting until every boy and girl is protected against HPV, and the virus is eradicated once and for all. With your help, there is no doubt we will get there.

In Deepest Gratitude,

Justine, Tristan and Camille Almada

Co-Founders