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Provocative Publicis-backed Campaign Warns Young People About HPV Risks

A recently launched campaign doesn't mince words when it comes to the human papillomavirus (HPV) and why everyone should get vaccinated against it.

The aptly named HPV Fucks Everybody campaign is the brainchild of 2023 MM+M Agency 100 honorees Publicis Health Media and Digitas Health as well as the nonprofit F Cancer. 

The goal of HPV Fucks Everybody is to highlight the risks associated with HPV, which includes developing cancer and genital warts, in an effort to encourage young people to get a vaccine to prevent infection.

On the campaign's website, people can schedule a vaccine appointment at a number of prominent retail pharmacies, including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target and Kroger.

HPV Fucks Everybody is supported by a 30-second and one-minutelong commercials and is being out-of-home promoted nationwide. This includes advertisements placed across 150 campuses, 150 malls and on lifestyle websites like Thrillist and PopSugar as well as the dating app Grindr. An audio campaign is expected to follow as well.

Image used with permission.

By taking a deliberately provocative approach to public health messaging, the medical marketing agencies hope the target audience of sexually active 18- to 26-year-olds will take steps to eliminate HPV.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscores how widespread, yet under-discussed the virus is in America.

Around 80% of adults have the HPV virus and nearly every American will get HPV in their lifetime. On an annual basis, 42 million Americans are currently infected with HPV types that cause disease and 13 million become infected.

Publicis Health Media, a subsidiary of Publicis Groupe, has been a vocal presence in combating HPV, especially since company CEO Arthur Sadoun was diagnosed and treated for HPV-related cancer last year.

As part of its annual, holiday-themed Useful Wishes video last year, Sadoun and Maurice Lévy, chairman of the supervisory board of Publicis, discussed how prevalent HPV is and encouraged people to get the vaccine if they hadn't already.

The two were also joined by Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas, who was diagnosed with and treated for stage 4 throat cancer caused by HPV in the early 2010s.

During Super Bowl LVII in February, Publicis Groupe further raised awareness of HPV through a regional advertisement run in conjunction with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. That commercial was awarded a Gold Lion from the Health & Wellness jury at the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June.

Additionally, Publicis Groupe won the Lions Health Grand Prix for Good for its Working with Cancer initiative, which was launched at the World Economic Forum to ensure that the business world stands united against the disease and other chronic conditions.

The award-winning campaign received support from more than 600 businesses, including 30 of the largest companies in the world.

While the subject of sex in public conversation can still be considered taboo, HPV Fucks Everybody is the latest example of charged advertising centered on intimacy and cancer risks.

In October, community-led charity Girl vs Cancer teamed with U.K.-based advertising giant Bartle Bogle Hegarty on a campaign highlighting the impact of cancer on people's sex lives, especially among women.

The use of profanity is the calling card of F Cancer but has also been utilized effectively as part of other health-focused advertising recently.

Earlier this year, online addiction treatment company Ophelia rolled out its F*ck Rehab effort to let patients know that sometimes rehab doesn't work for people dealing with opioid addiction. The campaign suggested that evidence-based medication and related approaches could improve patient outcomes.

Number Attending Cervical Screening Appointments At Lowest Level Since 2020

Cells collected from the cervix are checked for the presence of certain types of HPV (PA)

PA Wire

The number of women being screened for cervical cancer is at its lowest level since 2020, new data has revealed, with the proportion of younger women taking up appointments also falling sharply.

NHS England is now urging all people invited for screening to take up the offer after figures showed three in 10 of those eligible do not.

Women are invited for cervical screening every three to five years depending on their age, but will be seen more frequently if they have human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses which can be transmitted through sexual contact and cause no symptoms.

During the appointment, a small sample of cells is collected from the cervix and checked for certain types of HPV.

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The vast majority – 99.7% – of cervical cancers are caused by 13 high-risk types of the virus.

Data released by NHS England showed 4.62 million women aged 25 to 64 were due to be screened and invited for a test last year, with 3.43 million attending appointments.

According to the figures, of the women aged 25 to 64 eligible for cervical screening, 68.7% were tested within the recommended timeframe.

In those aged 25 to 49, some 65.8% were screened within 3.5 years.

The figure has steadily declined from 70.2% in 2020, to 68.0% in 2021 and 67.6% in 2022.

Of those aged 50 to 64, some 74.4% were screened within 5.5 years, the lowest proportion since 2013.

Barriers to participation can often lead to inequalities in diagnosis and treatment, so we support targeted action to increase awareness and widen access to this potentially life-saving programme

Nicola Smith, CRUK

Nicola Smith, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "The cervical screening programme saves thousands of lives every year in the UK by preventing cancer and helping to stop the disease in its tracks. We encourage women and people with a cervix, such as trans men and non-binary people assigned female at birth, to take part.

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"Barriers to participation can often lead to inequalities in diagnosis and treatment, so we support targeted action to increase awareness and widen access to this potentially life-saving programme.

"Some people can find cervical screening uncomfortable but there are ways to make your appointment work better for you. When booking, ask for a longer time slot, so you can speak through any concerns you may have. And remember, you are in control of your appointment."

Earlier this month, NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard pledged to wipe out cervical cancer by 2040.

The NHS is now ramping up efforts to vaccinate women against HPV in England, as well as encouraging more to come forward for cervical screening.

It comes after Australia said it wanted to be the first country in the world to eradicate the disease by 2035, although it is understood countries such as Sweden may get there first.

A vaccination against HPV was introduced in the UK in 2008.

We know that it's possible for the NHS to eliminate cervical cancer within the next two decades, but it relies on millions of people continuing to come forward for screening and vaccinations every year

Steve Russell, NHS England

It is recommended for children aged 12 to 13 years old and people at higher risk from HPV, such as gay and bisexual men under the age of 45.

However, officials said wiping out the disease relies on people coming forward for screening and jabs.

Steve Russell, chief delivery officer and national director for vaccinations and screening for NHS England, said: "We know that it's possible for the NHS to eliminate cervical cancer within the next two decades, but it relies on millions of people continuing to come forward for screening and vaccinations every year.

"The NHS is doing everything we can to achieve our ambition by making it as easy as possible to make appointments, with the latest figures showing the NHS arranged cervical screening for over 3.4 million women last year."

Dr Kiren Collison, a GP and NHS England's deputy medical director for primary care, added: "Getting the HPV vaccination and attending screening is the best way of preventing cervical cancer, which is why it's important that you book an appointment when invited.

"I'd also encourage anyone who has previously received an invitation and may have been unable to attend at the time, not to wait until you get another invitation before contacting your GP practice. You can still book a cervical screening appointment even if you were invited weeks, months or years ago."

CGMA Leads School-based HPV Immunization Drive In Pampanga, Supports Efforts To End Cervical Cancer

Former president and now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may now be considered a key ally in the global fight against cervical cancer. 

Arroyo, who is also credited for declaring the month of May every year as "Cervical Cancer Consciousness Month" in the country, recently led an immunization campaign against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in Guagua to protect learners from the dreaded disease. HPV is responsible for more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, and most people who become infected do not know they have it.

The HPV vaccination drive, which will have around 17,000 school-aged children in Pampanga as its main beneficiaries, was supported by the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 3, the Provincial Health Office in Pampanga, as well as the Governor and Board Members of Pampanga, the Mayor of Guagua, and the Department of Education (DepEd). 

An economist and a game-changer in Philippine politics, the presence of the former head of state at the Pampanga event may already be considered a shot in the arm for the DOH, which has been calling for increased funding for its HPV immunization program in the coming year. 

In 2023, the DOH procured 1 million doses of HPV vaccines to provide cervical cancer protection to 500,000 girls aged 9 to 14. This coverage represents approximately 38% of targeted school-aged children nationwide and already covers HPV vaccination efforts across 15 regions nationwide (the effort, however, still does not include MIMAROPA and Region 2). 

Fearing that their HPV vaccination allocation will be cut to 750,000 under the fiscal year budget in 2024 (250,000 less than the 1 million doses procured last year), the DOH has since called on lawmakers to increase funding for its HPV vaccination drive during budget negotiations in Congress. They claim that reducing the HPV vaccines will make it more difficult for the health department to fulfill its mandate. 

Latest data shows the government has already spent around P 46.63 billion on cancer treatment alone, including cervical cancer. A budget cut on the procurement of HPV vaccines would be ironic since 99% of cervical cancer cases are preventable through early vaccination of girls as early as 9 years old. 

Eliminating cervical cancer by 2040

Every two minutes, a woman dies of cervical cancer worldwide. 

In the Philippines, it ranks as the second most common type of cancer that afflicts women. Almost 8,000 Filipino women are diagnosed with the disease annually, and it continues to claim the lives of 11 Filipinas every day. The disease is largely preventable through vaccination and screening, and could also be easily managed through early detection and appropriate treatment. 

Cervical cancer continues to be a burden, especially in low-resource countries like the Philippines where needed facilities for prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment are usually lacking. Immunogenicity studies have shown that two doses of HPV vaccine provide better protection for the younger age group. Early vaccination before HPV exposure is also more effective. 

This is why Pampanga's initiative to introduce a school-based HPV vaccination among children aged 9 to 14 can be an important first step in building a more resilient system that could fortify the community's protection against vaccine-preventable diseases like cervical cancer.

Acknowledging that cervical cancer is 90 percent preventable, the Philippines has since become one of the many countries answering the call of the World Health Organization (WHO) to help eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

According to the WHO, it is possible to eliminate cervical cancer using the 90-70-90 rule: HPV vaccination gets scaled up to cover 90% of adolescent girls; 70% of women receive HPV-based screening; and 90% of women with pre-cancer symptoms or invasive cervical cancer receive treatment. In line with the global mission to address the burden of HPV and eliminate cervical cancer, the DOH has since made it clear that allocating more resources to HPV vaccination is necessary.

According to the health department, increasing the budget for HPV vaccination can significantly expand the reach of these life-saving shots. This will not only shield individuals from the devastating effects of cervical cancer, it will also ease the broader social and economic burdens linked to the disease.

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