HPV Awareness Day 2026 – Why It Matters to All of Us

Human papillomavirus (HPV) might not be something you talk about every day — but it’s an important health topic we should all know about.

As it’s HPV Awareness Day, let’s take the time to go through what we need to know to keep ourselves and others safe.

What Is HPV?

HPV is a very common group of viruses. 80% of us will get it at some point in our lives.

Some HPV has no symptoms. Some can cause warts on your skin, including your genitals. But other, high risk types of HPV can cause cancer. The most common is cervical cancer, but HPV can also lead to cancers in the throat, mouth, anus, penis or vagina.

How HPV Spreads

HPV passes through skin-to-skin contact, particularly during sexual activity.

It’s possible to have HPV for years without any symptoms. That means it’s possible to pass it on to other people without ever knowing you had it.

Because nearly all cases of HPV come through sex, it’s often something people don’t feel comfortable talking about.

But it’s something that can have serious health effects, and is largely preventable. So let’s talk about how to stop it.

The HPV Vaccine

The HPV vaccine helps protect against several types of HPV known to cause cancer, including cervical cancer. It’s offered on the NHS to all children aged around 12 - 13 and is available as a catch‑up for young people who missed it. Just one dose is all you need.

The vaccine doesn’t mean you can’t get HPV, but it does hugely reduce the chances.

Getting vaccinated helps protect everyone. If fewer people catch HPV, fewer people can spread it. Over time, this leads to fewer HPV-related diseases, like the cancers we talked about earlier.

Cervical Screening and HPV

HPV and cervical screening are often talked about together. HPV causes most cases of cervical cancer – so screening looks for the earliest signs of high-risk HPV so it can be treated.

Cervical screening saves thousands of lives every year. If you have a cervix, you’ll get a screening invite before your 25th birthday. Screening appointments happen at your GP practice and take about 10 minutes every 5 years.

The HPV vaccine and cervical screening are two key parts in the NHS’s aim to eradicated cervical cancer by 2024.

Got Questions about HPV or Cervical Screening?

Working together with our Primary Care Network, Gosforth and Jesmond Health, all 6 GP practices in the area have focused on improving cervical screening rates in recent years.

When patients told us what information and support they needed, we created a simple information hub. It brings everything together in one place – how screening works, when it happens, what to expect, and what other patients say. There are also video explainers and easy-read guides.

When you asked questions or shared things you had heard, we created our Myth Busters page to separate fact from fiction.

What You Can Do This HPV Awareness Day

🗓️ Check your screening status – if you’re due, make an appointment.
💬 Talk about it – share facts with friends and family to help break down barriers. Including why the HPV vaccine is important for all genders at school.
🔗 Share our Myth Busters – If you learn something new, or want to answer a friend’s worry, send them a link
❓ Ask questions and share the answers! No concern is too small when it comes to your health. And if the question came to you, lots of other people will have thought of it too.

Together, vaccination + screening = a future with far fewer HPV‑related cancers.