International HPV Awareness Day Date in the current year: March 4, 2024

Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection) can be caused by one of the many DNA viruses from the Papillomaviridae family. There are more than 170 types of human papillomavirus. Many of them cause no symptoms and are cleared by the immune system within two years at most. However, certain types of HPV may cause warts and even certain types of cancer (cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, and oropharyngeal cancer).

HPV is transmitted through close contact. Several dozen types of HPV are sexually transmitted infections, and nearly every sexually active adult is infected by HPV at some point in their lives. However, non-sexual transmission of HPV is not uncommon. The virus may be transmitted through shared objects like razors or wet towels (such objects are called formites), and from mother to child during childbirth.

Since HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, it would make sense that it can be prevented by using a condom. While condoms do lower the risk of getting infected, they don’t completely protect from HPV because the virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact, which includes the areas around the genitals that are not covered by the condom.

The most common high-risk (cancerous) types of HPV can be prevented by vaccination. There are HPV vaccines that protect against two, four, or nine types of the virus; all of them protect against types 16 and 18, which are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. However, there is a catch: to be effective, vaccination must occur before getting infected. Therefore it is generally recommended that girls get vaccinated before becoming sexually active, ideally between the ages of 9 and 13. Vaccination at a later age (15 and above) usually requires more doses of the vaccine (three instead of two).

Although most types of HPV are harmless, some are potentially deadly, and this is why we need HPV Awareness Day. March 4 was designated as International HPV Awareness Day by the International Papillomavirus Society, an international organization that promotes research into papillomaviruses and the diseases they cause, with the ultimate goal of eliminating papillomavirus-related diseases. The inaugural HPV Awareness Day took place on March 4, 2018.

International HPV Awareness Day events are held by healthcare institutions, educational establishments, patients groups, and other relevant stakeholders. Their main goal is to promote HPV education and raise awareness about the availability of prevention methods that can help save thousands of lives. You can observe HPV Awareness Day by participating in one of these events, learning more about HPV, its transmission and prevention, getting vaccinated if you are in the right age range or getting your child vaccinated, get screened for HPV, and spread awareness on social media with the hashtags #InternationalHPVAwarenessDay and #HPVAwarenessDay.