Throat Cancer Foundation

02/09/2026

Why is the HPV vaccine offered so early?

Because it works best before someone is exposed to HPV.

Vaccination prepares the immune system to recognise and fight the HPV types covered by the vaccine. Offering it through the school programme provides an opportunity to build that protection early in life.

This is not a judgement about a young person’s sexual behaviour. It does not predict when they might become sexually active.

It is cancer prevention planned in advance.

But early does not mean only.

Some people who missed vaccination at school may still be eligible through NHS catch-up arrangements. Other groups may be eligible because of their individual circumstances.

Eligibility varies according to age, circumstances and where someone lives in the UK. If you think you or your child missed out, check the current NHS guidance or ask your local vaccination service.

Check. Don’t assume.

HPV: Prevention for Life

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.

31/08/2026

HPV vaccination is prevention—not treatment.

The vaccine helps protect against high-risk types of HPV that can cause several cancers, including HPV-related throat cancer.

It works by preparing the immune system to recognise and fight those HPV types before an infection becomes established.

But the distinction matters.

The vaccine cannot clear an HPV infection that is already present. It cannot reverse cellular changes that have already occurred, and it cannot treat an existing cancer.

That does not mean vaccination has no possible value for someone previously exposed to HPV. Exposure to one type does not necessarily mean exposure to every type covered by the vaccine. Eligibility and potential benefit will depend on individual circumstances.

The strongest protection comes before exposure—which is why vaccination is routinely offered to young people.

HPV vaccination helps stop the process before the damage can begin.

HPV: Prevention for Life

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.

29/08/2026

Mia lost her grandad last year. Now, she’s running the Junior Great North Run with his memory in her heart and his name carrying her forward.

She is only £5 away from her target. Could you be the person who gets this brave young girl over that first finish line? 💙

Help Mia Bellew raise money to support Throat Cancer Foundation

28/08/2026

HPV-related throat cancer does not present in exactly the same way for everyone.

For some people, the first noticeable sign is a lump in the neck. For others, it may be a persistent sore throat, unexplained ear pain or difficulty swallowing.

The original HPV infection may have caused no symptoms at all. Most HPV infections clear naturally without causing harm, but some infections involving high-risk types of HPV persist and may eventually lead to cancer.

In cases of oropharyngeal cancer, HPV status is usually established by testing the cancer tissue. There is no routine screening test for HPV-related throat cancer.

These symptoms are common and will often have causes other than cancer—but persistent or unexplained changes need to be checked.

If something does not feel right, or a symptom is not going away, please get it seen.

Different people. Different symptoms. The same missing connection.

HPV: Prevention for Life

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.

26/08/2026

HPV-related throat cancer can develop years—even decades—after the infection was acquired.

HPV is extremely common. Most infections cause no symptoms and are cleared by the body without ever causing harm.

However, some infections involving high-risk types of HPV persist. Over time, persistent infection can change the affected cells and may eventually lead to cancer.

The long interval matters.

An HPV-related cancer diagnosis cannot tell us exactly when the infection was acquired or from whom. It is not evidence of recent infection, infidelity or somebody’s sexual history.

It tells us about the biology of the cancer—not the character of the person diagnosed.

HPV-related throat cancer is a medical diagnosis…

Not a confession.

This is why responsible HPV information must be factual, sensitive and free from shame or blame.

HPV vaccination helps prevent infection with the high-risk HPV types responsible for most HPV-related cancers.

HPV: Prevention for Life

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.

24/08/2026

Where does HPV-related throat cancer develop?

The strongest link between HPV and throat cancer is found in the oropharynx—the middle part of the throat behind the mouth.

It includes the tonsils, the base of the tongue and the back and side walls of the throat.

HPV is extremely common. Most infections clear naturally without causing any harm. However, some infections involving high-risk types of HPV persist.

Over time, persistent infection can cause changes in cells that may eventually lead to cancer. Only a very small proportion of HPV infections progress in this way, but understanding the connection matters.

HPV vaccination helps protect against the high-risk HPV types responsible for most HPV-related cancers.

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.

Know the connection.

HPV: Prevention for Life

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.

21/08/2026

HPV prevention should not end when school does.

Let us be clear: the school vaccination programme is the foundation. We must protect it, increase uptake and reach every eligible child.

But school should be the starting point—not the end of our public-health thinking.

Many adults were never offered HPV vaccination. Others missed it, remain eligible or belong to communities where uptake is unequal.

A life-course approach does not mean that everyone is currently eligible for free NHS vaccination. It means continuing to ask:

Who missed out?
Who remains eligible?
Where is uptake unequal?
What should policy do next?

Some types of HPV can cause several cancers, including some throat cancers. That is why the Throat Cancer Foundation supports the WFPHA Call to Action on adult HPV vaccination.

We want strong childhood uptake, clearer information, action on inequality and evidence-led policy for those who missed out.

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.

HPV: Prevention for Life

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.

19/08/2026

What about the adults who were never offered the HPV vaccine?

The UK’s school HPV vaccination programme began for girls in 2008. Boys were not included until 2019.

That means many adults had already left school before they could benefit from the protection now offered routinely to young people.

This matters because HPV does not become irrelevant when someone reaches adulthood. Some types of HPV can cause cancer years—and sometimes decades—after infection, including some cancers of the throat.

We also need to be honest about the position today.

Not every adult can obtain HPV vaccination free through the NHS. Eligibility depends on factors including age, date of birth, individual circumstances and the programme operating where someone lives.

Some people who missed vaccination at school can still receive it through NHS catch-up arrangements. Vaccination is also available to certain people considered at greater risk from HPV.

If you think you missed it, check your vaccination history and look at the current NHS guidance. Your GP surgery or sexual health clinic can advise what applies to you.

But individual action is only part of the answer.

The Throat Cancer Foundation believes we need:

• strong uptake among children offered vaccination now
• better identification of people who missed it
• clear information about current adult options
• action on inequalities in access and uptake
• serious consideration of HPV prevention throughout life

That is why TCF supports the World Federation of Public Health Associations’ Call to Action on adult HPV vaccination.

HPV: Prevention for Life

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.

17/08/2026

HPV vaccination is cancer prevention.

That should be the starting point for every conversation about HPV.

The vaccine helps protect against HPV types that can cause several cancers, including some cancers of the throat. Yet it is still widely regarded as little more than a school-age injection.

Many adults missed the vaccination or were never offered it. Many parents still do not fully understand what it protects their children against. And many people first learn about the connection between HPV and throat cancer only after a diagnosis.

That is why the Throat Cancer Foundation is launching HPV: Prevention for Life.

Through this campaign, we will:

• explain the connection between HPV and throat cancer
• present vaccination clearly as cancer prevention
• support better awareness beyond the school years
• challenge the blame and stigma surrounding HPV
• provide trusted information for patients, families and healthcare professionals
• support the case for a fairer, life-course approach to HPV prevention

The Throat Cancer Foundation is proud to support the WFPHA - World Federation of Public Health Associations Call to Action on adult HPV vaccination.

This is not about weakening the school vaccination programme. It is about building upon it, reaching those who missed out and recognising that HPV-related cancer prevention matters throughout life.

Prevention where we can. Earlier diagnosis where we can’t.