A new analysis reveals that the majority of Americans do not realize that the human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause six different types of cancer.
HPV is responsible for nearly all cervical cancer cases and now accounts for most oropharyngeal (throat) cancers. It is also linked to anal, vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancers.
Despite these risks, researchers at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center found that public awareness of HPV’s broader cancer connections remains low. The findings, published this week in JAMA Oncology, highlight the critical importance of awareness in guiding decisions about HPV vaccination for children.
Lead researcher Kalyani Sonawane, Ph.D., emphasized that understanding the risks of HPV informs parental decisions on vaccination. Using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), the study revealed that roughly one-third of Americans are unaware of HPV or the HPV vaccine.
Awareness gaps were most pronounced in the Midwest and South, with more than 40% of residents in 13 states—including South Carolina—unaware that a vaccine exists.
The HPV vaccine is widely recognized as the most effective defense against cancers caused by the virus. Research in Europe and the U.S., including studies at Hollings, has already shown a significant decline in cervical cancer cases among young women—the first cohort to receive the vaccine when it was introduced.
Scientists expect even greater reductions in HPV-related cancers as these vaccinated individuals reach ages when cancer risk typically increases.
Cervical cancer often appears in patients in their 30s and 40s, making it a bellwether for vaccine effectiveness. In contrast, oropharyngeal cancers typically present in patients in their 50s and 60s, meaning it will take longer to observe the vaccine’s full impact on these cancers.
Sonawane noted that awareness of HPV’s link to oropharyngeal cancer is especially limited: 70% of people who have heard of HPV do not know it can cause throat cancer.
She explained that public perception still associates HPV primarily with cervical cancer, partly because the vaccine was initially marketed in 2006 for girls, with campaigns even using pink packaging. While the vaccine is now recommended for boys, vaccination rates among males remain lower than for females.
“Many parents assume HPV vaccination is only relevant for girls,” Sonawane said. “Pediatricians report that when they recommend the vaccine for boys, parents often respond, ‘Oh, but he’s a boy.’”
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted preventive healthcare, including HPV vaccination and cancer screenings. While breast and colon cancer screenings have rebounded, cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination rates have lagged.
Sonawane warned that this decline could have long-term consequences. “We risk losing the opportunity to vaccinate children and detect cancers early,” she said. “Both primary and secondary prevention efforts are being set back, and this could affect cancer outcomes for years to come.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
