Grassroots HPV Vaccine Education in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: A Personal Reflection

Abstract

I visited two primary schools, and concerningly, more than half of the teachers had never heard of HPV or HPV vaccine. Furthermore, the students demonstrated limited knowledge of HPV or the vaccine to the extent that they struggled to comprehend the questionnaire. However, after I delivered a 15-minute lecture about HPV and the vaccine, it was encouraging to note an increase in the number of students expressing an intention to get vaccinated. It became clear that until now, health education, including sexual health, has not been sufficiently implemented in primary schools, and thus, knowledge about HPV has not been provided by teachers sufficiently. Therefore, expanding this type of educational intervention to deliver reliable information is necessary, prioritizing teachers and parents as targets, since the intention of teachers and parents is considered to have a significant influence on the vaccination of children. A world free of cervical cancer can only be achieved through continuous education and awareness initiatives especially at the grassroots level, such as I practiced in Cambodia, to facilitate informed decision-making.