HPV vaccine helps to prevent cervical cancer in young women

For the first time, no one in the UK has died from cervical cancer in four years. This milestone is linked to the HPV vaccine.

Words:

• Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus, part of the female reproductive system.
• A jab is an informal word for an injection.
• When you eliminate something, you remove or get rid it of it entirely.
• A public health issue is a problem that affects the health of a whole population.
• A advocate is someone who publicly talks about a certain issue.
• A smear test is a medical test that women do to check for HPV or cervical cancer.
• Vaccination rates are the percentage of a population that is vaccinated.

Video:

Warming up

1. This video is about the HPV vaccine. HPV (human papillomavirus) is a virus that you can catch by having sex. It can cause cervical cancer. Which other examples of viruses do you know? Which of these viruses have a vaccine?

2. This video is only about women and girls who got the HPV vaccine. Can boys and men get HPV too? Look this up online if you don’t already know, and explain your answer.

Questions about the video

Watch until 01:20.

3. Which of these sentences is true?

A: There have been no deaths of cervical cancer since 2008.

B: 200 people die of cervical cancer every year.

C: 99% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV.

D: HPV is most common among people in the 20s and 30s.

4. True or false:

Michelle Mitchell from Cancer Research is happy that it has been proven that HPV vaccination reduces the number of deaths from cervical cancer.

5. Fill in the missing words in this summary.

eliminating – protect – research – responsible – risk – vaccination

New ___ published in The Lancet shows that HPV ___ has protected girls in England from cervical cancer since 2008. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is ___ for 99% of cervical cancers. That’s why the HPV vaccine ___ women’s ___ of getting cervical cancer. Experts believe this progress could lead to ___ cervical cancer as a public health issue in the UK.

Watch from 01:20 to the end of the video.

6. Why did Alexandra not get the HPV vaccine?

7. Alexandra says she is a real advocate for the HPV vaccine. Explain what she means by this, and give an example of what she does as an advocate.

8. The global goal is to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. What do experts say needs to happen to achieve that?

Task

Option 1: In the Netherlands, the HPV vaccine is free for everyone under 18. Teenagers (boys and girls) get an invitation to get the vaccine when they turn 10 years old. Currently, the amount of young people who get this vaccine is between 60-70%. Write a short text convincing young people to get the HPV vaccine, and give at least two arguments.

Option 2: How do you think young people should be informed about these kinds of health issues? For example, should that happen in school, or should the government try to reach young people with social media campaigns? Write three suggestions on how to inform young people about health issues.

Van de makers van All Right!, Of Course! en Taalblokken Engels