Every year on 4 March is HPV Awareness Day, which aims to raise global awareness of human papillomavirus and the possible effects of infection. It has been celebrated every year since 2018 and is also intended to raise awareness of prevention options.
HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It is a very common, sexually transmitted virus that almost everyone comes into contact with during their lifetime. There are many different types of HPV, which can have different effects on the human body. The good news is that for many people, the HPV infection heals on its own. For some, HPV can cause unpleasant genital warts. And for a few, the virus remains in the body and can cause various types of cancer after many years: Cervical cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, penile cancer, anal cancer and vaginal or vulvar cancer. HPV therefore affects all genders and all genders can infect their partners with HPV over a long period of time. However, regular examinations can detect the cancer early and there is even a very effective vaccination against HPV-caused cancers. Through education, such as on HPV Awareness Day, and vaccination campaigns, the spread of HPV should be reduced and the risk of HPV-associated cancers lowered.
The HPV vaccination is recommended for girls and boys from the age of 9. The vaccination is most effective if it is given before the first sexual contact. However, the vaccination is still useful and effective afterwards. Until 31 December 2025, the HPV vaccination is available free of charge for everyone up to the 30th birthday in Austria. Two vaccinations are recommended, with the second dose being administered after at least 6 to a maximum of 12 months.
An HPV vaccination campaign for students and staff will take place for the 2nd time at the FH Salzburg on 4 March 2025. Vaccinations will be given by the Salzburg State Health Directorate from 12:15 - 16:00, in room 280 on Campus Urstein. Click here for information and registration.
As part of the ‘Humane PapilloWAS?’ project, researchers from the Biomedical Analytics degree programme have been working intensively over the past two years to raise awareness of HPV. In a participatory research approach together with citizens, a poster campaignwas created that could be seen throughout the province of Salzburg. School classes filmed and submitted short videos about HPV for the Citizen Science Award, three of which were honoured at an award ceremony with the Ministry of Education in Vienna and were subsequently shown on social media. Together with citizens, the researchers also conducted a survey on HPV and the information behaviour of the population on health topics - the results were published last week under the title ‘Improving HPV-related health literacy in the Austrian population - A participatory research approach’ in the journal ‘Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics’.
If you would like to find out more about HPV, you can listen to conversations with people affected by cervical, penile and oropharyngeal cancer in the first episodes of the ‘Health Talk’ podcast. The podcast also explains what exactly happens with a PAP smear in the cytological laboratory, what the different values mean and what alternatives there are to conisation.
