There are some health conversations families keep postponing. Not because they aren’t important, but because they feel uncomfortable. Anything linked to sexual health often falls into that space, avoided, delayed, or spoken about in half-sentences.
And yet, that silence is exactly what allows infections like HPV to quietly persist.“A child’s health is a family’s future, and HPV can silently threaten that. It’s not just cervical cancer; it’s a lifetime of challenges. But there’s hope: vaccinate your kids, get screened, and have those awkward conversations about sexual health. It’s time to take control of the situation,” says Dr. Sangram Keshari Panda, Consultant- Surgical Oncologist, HCG Cancer Center, Cuttack.And once you understand how common HPV is, the hesitation starts to feel risky.It’s not one virus, and it doesn’t behave the way people assumeHPV, or human papillomavirus, isn’t a single infection. It’s a large group of related viruses. Some are low-risk and may clear on their own. But a few types are known to cause cancer, especially cervical cancer.“HPV is not a single bug but a family of related viruses. A few high-risk types, most notably types 16 and 18 are responsible for the majority of cervical cancers seen in India,” explains Dr.
Panda.And that’s where things get complicated. Because HPV doesn’t always cause immediate symptoms. Many people may carry the virus without knowing it. It can stay silent for years before showing up as a serious health issue.So it’s not just about treating an infection. It’s about preventing something you might not even realise you’ve been exposed to.
How HPV actually spreads
There’s a lot of confusion around how HPV is transmitted. Many people assume it spreads like other infections, through shared surfaces or casual contact.
That’s not the case.“HPV is transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact, most commonly during sexual activity. This includes vaginal, anal and oral contact; condoms reduce risk but do not eliminate it because the virus can infect areas not covered by a condom,” says Dr. Panda.That last part matters. Protection helps, but it’s not foolproof. The virus can spread through contact with areas that aren’t covered, which is why relying only on barrier methods doesn’t completely remove the risk.Non-sexual transmission is rare, but it can happen in specific situations, like during childbirth. Still, the primary route remains intimate contact.And that’s exactly why conversations become difficult. Because talking about HPV means talking about sexual health. But avoiding that conversation doesn’t reduce the risk—it just delays awareness.
Why this matters more in India than we often realise
Cervical cancer continues to be a serious public health issue in India.
Thousands of women are affected every year. And while awareness has improved in some urban areas, large parts of the country still lack access to regular screening or accurate information.“But this is where early action changes everything. Population data and registry reports show that while incidence has been slowly falling in some regions, the absolute burden remains high, particularly where screening is inconsistent and awareness low,” Dr.
Panda points out.So even if the percentage looks like it’s declining, the total number of cases remains significant simply because of the population size.And behind every number is a family dealing with emotional and financial strain. Treatment is not just about medicine. It affects livelihoods, caregiving, and long-term health.
Vaccination is where prevention begins
If there’s one intervention that has clearly shifted outcomes in HPV-related cancers, it’s vaccination.“Vaccination, given before exposure to HPV, dramatically lowers the chance that a girl will later develop cervical pre-cancer and cancer,” says Dr. Panda.And India has taken a step in that direction. A national HPV vaccination campaign targeting adolescent girls has been introduced, using a quadrivalent vaccine that protects against the most common high-risk types as well as those that cause genital warts.The programme is offered through government health facilities.
It’s free and voluntary, and requires caregiver consent.But awareness is still catching up. Many parents hesitate, not because they are against vaccines, but because they don’t fully understand what this one is for.And that’s where framing matters. This is not about encouraging early exposure or discussing behaviour. It’s about cancer prevention. A simple, factual explanation often changes how families respond.
Screening still matters, even after vaccination
One common misconception is that vaccination removes the need for screening. It doesn’t.“Vaccination does not replace screening. Regular screening, through methods recommended by national programmes, detects cellular changes early, when treatment is simpler and outcomes far better,” Dr. Panda explains.Screening helps catch changes before they turn into cancer. And for many women, especially those who missed vaccination earlier in life, it becomes the first line of defence.But screening rates in India are still low. And often, women only seek care when symptoms become difficult to ignore—unusual bleeding, persistent pain, or discomfort that doesn’t go away.By then, the disease may have progressed.
The part families struggle with most
For many caregivers, the hardest step isn’t vaccination or screening. It’s starting the conversation.Talking to children about HPV can feel uncomfortable. There’s a fear of saying too much, or saying it the wrong way.
But avoiding it entirely leaves gaps in understanding.So the approach matters. Keeping it simple, focusing on health, and avoiding judgment can make a difference. Children don’t need every detail at once. But they do need clarity.And when caregivers show that these topics can be discussed calmly, it creates space for better decisions later.
Small actions, long-term impact
Prevention doesn’t always feel urgent, especially when the risk isn’t visible.
But HPV is exactly that kind of infection—common, often silent, and potentially serious over time.Keeping vaccination records, following up on doses, and encouraging screening in the family may seem like routine steps. And sometimes, that’s what public health looks like. Not dramatic interventions, but consistent, informed choices.
A shift worth making
HPV is not rare. It’s not limited to a specific group. And it’s not something that can be ignored just because it’s uncomfortable to talk about.But it is preventable. That’s the part that often gets missed.So maybe the real shift isn’t just medical. It’s cultural. Moving from silence to conversation. From hesitation to action. From reacting late to preparing early.Because when it comes to HPV, what you do before anything happens is what truly makes the difference.Medical experts consulted This article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by:Dr. Sangram Keshari Panda, Consultant- Surgical Oncologist, HCG Cancer Center, CuttackInputs were used to explain how HPV spreads and why this matters more in India.
