Int’l HPV Awareness Day is March 4, 2025
By Pamela Tom | HPVANDME Founder
In 2019, at 59, Cindy Southwell of Florida, felt a bump in her anus. At first, her general practitioner summed it up to a hemorrhoid and would not do a rectal exam until Southwell insisted. The diagnosis: HPV-16 positive anal cancer.
Southwell decided to share her story with HPVANDME to help normalize the conversation. She also wanted to help other anal cancer patients know what to expect during and after treatment.
“I want everybody to know because it’s preventable. Just get the Gardasil (HPV) vaccine,” says Southwell.
This video contains graphic descriptions of anal cancer and the side effects of cancer treatment, including difficulty with sexual activity.
The HPV vaccine helps prevent six types of cancer: anal, cervical, oropharyngeal (throat), penile, vaginal, and vulvar. The CDC recommends the HPV vaccine for boys and girls at age 11 to 13, and as early as age nine.
The HPV vaccine may also provide benefits for those up to age 45. Talk with your doctor.
In the United States, the number of new cases of anal cancer is estimated to be around 10,540 in 2024, with about 2,190 deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. The risk of developing anal cancer is about 1 in 500, but it’s more common in older adults and in Black men and White women.