Why the Summits matter; how to get involved
The HPV vaccine has been widely available and recommended since 2006. Yet in Wisconsin most teens and young adults still aren’t getting the vaccine – or the life-saving cancer prevention it provides.
The Wisconsin HPV Vaccine Summits hope to change that.
Next month, doctors, researchers, and advocates will gather in Green Bay and Eau Claire to share challenges and solutions to increasing Wisconsin’s HPV vaccination rate. Registration for the day-long Summits costs $15.
HPV can cause cervical, vaginal, vulvar, oropharyngeal, anal, and penile cancers. But only 38% of boys and less than 54% of girls ages 13-17 in Wisconsin have completed the full two-dose HPV vaccination series.
“It is imperative that we take a step back and work together to identify the barriers to providing these vaccines widely and equitably,” said pediatric infectious disease specialist James Conway, with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
Improving HPV vaccination rates can help to reduce racial health disparities. Black and Latina women in Wisconsin are diagnosed with cervical cancer more than twice as often as white women, according to data from the US Cancer Statistics Working Group. This is one of the largest racial and ethnic disparities across all major cancer sites in Wisconsin.
| United States | Wisconsin – all | Wisconsin –Black Women | Wisconsin – Hispanic Women | Wisconsin – Non-Hispanic White Women | |
| Cervical cancer incidence rate | 7.2 | 6.7 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 6.2 |
The Wisconsin HPV Vaccine Summits “provide us a rare opportunity to change the lives of an entire generation by preventing these common and devastating cancers,” said. Dr. Conway.
Register today for the HPV Vaccine Summit in Green Bay on Oct. 18, or in Eau Claire on Oct. 26.
