HPV is not a scandal; it is biology. It is a family of viruses spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact. Most infections clear on their own; a minority persist, particularly types 16 and 18, and can lead to pre-cancers and, years later, cervical cancer. The vaccine blocks those high-risk infections early, before exposure. That is why public-health systems across the world treat HPV vaccination as cancer prevention, not as a comment on personal behavior or morality.
Why write now? Because Pakistan has finally moved from debate to delivery. Provinces have begun offering HPV shots to girls in the 914 age group, with the intention of folding them into routine immunisation. This is a public-interest milestone: a simple, single-dose schedule for the target age group; trained vaccinators (often female) to meet families where they are; and an explicit goal – protect girls before exposure and cut future cervical-cancer cases dramatically. Implementation, not ceremony, will determine success.
Predictably, myths swirl faster than facts. HPV vaccine myths are easily debunked by evidence: it does not cause infertility – long-term safety data show no link, and by preventing pre-cancers (and the invasive treatments they can trigger) it can actually help protect future fertility; it does not encourage promiscuity – studies across countries find no increase in risky behavior because the shot is a cancer-prevention tool, not a moral cue; and it is not experimental – HPV vaccines have been rigorously reviewed, continuously monitored, and safely used worldwide for well over a decade, so “new to our programme” is not “new to science”. There is a sociology to vaccines that matters as much as the science.
Trust follows clarity, convenience and respect. School-based sessions simplify access; female vaccinators reduce discomfort; a single-dose schedule reduces missed appointments; and language matters. Calling this a “cervical-cancer vaccine” in public messaging reframes it for what it is: a shield against a common, preventable cancer. Stigma fades when science is said plainly.
There is also a justice dimension. Cervical cancer strikes hardest where screening is scarce and information is thin. If HPV vaccination remains an urban or elite practice, we will reproduce inequity. The rollout must therefore be paired with three commitments: first, expand screening (HPV testing or Pap smears) as girls become women; second, keep clear pathways for treating precancerous lesions; third, maintain transparent reporting of any adverse events to sustain trust. Communities should be engaged through schools, universities, madrassas, lady health workers and parent groups. Awareness must be local, languages must be local, and champions must be local.
Have girls aged 914 vaccinated now through the public drive or at the nearest EPI centre and keep the vaccination card safe; plan for cervical screening in adulthood because the vaccine doesn’t cover all HPV types; and consider vaccination for boys in consultation with clinicians to further reduce transmission and prevent certain HPV-related cancers in males.
To the students who stopped me outside the bank: you were right to ask. Your question belongs at a university where science, society and policy meet; we must speak plainly about HPV, vaccinate without delay and keep routine screening. Pakistan now has the right tool at the right time, and with informed families, skilled health workers and sustained state support, eliminating cervical cancer within a generation is not wishful thinking but achievable public health.