"Georgia faces a major challenge, as over 200 women die annually from cervical cancer, primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)" - says Elene Janukashvili, 24, a sixth-year medical student and a future reproductive health specialist.

In January, Elene received her final, third dose of the 9-valent HPV vaccine, which is included in the immunization schedule for her age group. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that is the leading cause of cervical cancer among women and girls.

The 9-valent vaccine available in Georgia, which protects against even more oncogenic strains of HPV, is part of the national immunization programme and is provided free of charge to girls and women aged 10–46, as well as to boys and men aged 10–26.

"We have the privilege in Georgia, which many other countries lack, to get such an expensive vaccine [for free], protecting not only ourselves but also our partners from the infection, which ultimately leads to oncogenic diseases such as cervical cancer and others" - says Elene.

Along with Elene, her friend, Givi Gvinjilia, 24, a sixth-year medical student, received the HPV vaccine. 

There is a myth in Georgia that since men don’t have a uterus, they can’t get HPV. However, men can also get infected, and transmit the virus, endangering their partners. 

"Beyond self-protection, it’s important to protect your partner too. Given the nature of HPV, which remains undetectable for a long time and manifests severely later, I believe it’s crucial to prevent this problem from the outset" - says Givi.

Nino Inashvili, a 39-year-old HR specialist, also has her older son vaccinated against HPV. Her younger child is 7 yet and is not eligible for the vaccine under the immunization schedule, but she plans to have him vaccinated as soon as he reaches the appropriate age.

"As soon as I learned that boys could also be vaccinated against HPV, I became interested and did my research. At the time, my elder son was 12, and he was eligible for the programme. First and foremost, we wanted to protect him from diseases caused by HPV (such as genital cancers), and also to protect the women [he may have relationships with in the future]" - says Nino.

Most of the parents in Nino’s social circle have vaccinated their daughters and have been actively working to raise awareness of the importance of the vaccine:

"I often see photos and videos of girls getting vaccinated. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of any boys being vaccinated. I hope that by sharing our stories, the parents of my son’s classmates will become interested and vaccinate their children as well" - Nino adds. She also notes that since the eligible age range for the vaccination programme has expanded, she will definitely participate in this campaign.

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In Georgia, where HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer, this disease ranks fifth among the most frequently diagnosed oncological conditions among women.

Cervical Cancer is preventable and curable

The cervical cancer screening programme in Georgia was launched in 2009 with technical assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). To ensure universal access to screening, including for women living in rural and hard-to-reach areas, UNFPA — together with other UN agencies and with support from the European Union — is promoting the development of digital medicine in Georgia.

HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening are available free of charge at primary healthcare facilities and national screening centres.