HPV Vaccination Across the Life Course: Protecting More People from Preventable Cancer
News
Sep 7, 2026
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the world’s most common infections. WHO estimates that up to 80% of sexually active people will acquire HPV during their lifetime. Most infections clear naturally, but persistent infection with high-risk types can cause cancer.
The list is broader than many people realize. HPV can cause cervical, anal, penile, vulvar, vaginal, and oropharyngeal cancers. In 2019, HPV was estimated to cause around 620,000 cancer cases in women and 70,000 in men worldwide.
That is why the conversation around HPV vaccination needs to evolve. HPV prevention has long been associated primarily with adolescent girls and cervical cancer. Those programs remain essential, but they do not represent the full HPV disease burden or the full population that may benefit from prevention.
HPV-related cancer is not a women’s health issue alone
Cervical cancer remains the most significant HPV-related cancer globally and is a major health equity challenge. Yet HPV affects people of all genders.
Among men, HPV can cause anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers. Oropharyngeal cancer has become one of the most common HPV-associated cancers in men in several high-income countries, illustrating how an approach focused exclusively on cervical cancer can leave important gaps in public understanding.
The way HPV is discussed is critical. When the virus is presented only in relation to women’s health, men may not recognize their own risk or understand why vaccination is relevant to them.
HPV prevention should therefore be communicated as what it is: cancer prevention for people of all genders.
Why consider HPV vaccination beyond adolescence?
Routine vaccination before exposure to HPV remains the foundation of prevention.
However, a large number of adults were never offered HPV vaccination when they were younger.
The reasons differ. Some were already beyond the age groups targeted when national programs were introduced. Others faced eligibility, access, or cost barriers. HPV vaccines were introduced at different times across countries, creating significant differences between generations.
Adults can continue to encounter new HPV exposure risks throughout life. Previous infection does not necessarily mean previous exposure to every HPV type covered by a vaccine. Vaccination does not treat an existing infection, but it can provide protection against HPV types a person has not encountered.
National recommendations for adult HPV vaccination vary. A life-course approach is therefore not a single global vaccination schedule. It is a public health framework that asks whether current programs are reaching the populations they are designed to protect and what happens to those who were missed.
What is a life-course approach to HPV immunization?
A life-course approach recognizes that prevention does not happen at one point in time.
For HPV, it begins with strong vaccination programs for adolescents and continues by creating opportunities for catch-up and adult vaccination where national policies, evidence, and health systems support them.
A comprehensive approach can include:
- Routine vaccination for adolescents
- Catch-up vaccination for eligible populations
- Consideration of adult vaccination
- Inclusive policies covering people of different genders
- Convenient access through appropriate healthcare and community settings
- Clear communication from trusted health professionals
The principle is simple: a person’s age should not be the only lens through which prevention opportunities are considered.
The vaccination access gap
Having an effective vaccine is only one part of a successful immunization program.
People need to know that vaccination is available, understand why it matters, and be able to access it without unnecessary barriers.
For adults, this may mean offering vaccination through services they already use. Primary care, pharmacies, sexual health services, specialist clinics, workplaces and community programs can all provide potential access points depending on the national context.
Healthcare professionals are equally important. A recommendation from a trusted clinician can help people make informed decisions, particularly where misinformation has created uncertainty about vaccines.
Access strategies must also reflect local realities. A program designed for a large urban health system may not work in a rural community. Cost, distance, language, and trust can all determine whether prevention reaches the people it is intended to serve.
A global conversation that includes LMICs
Low- and middle-income countries carry a disproportionate burden of HPV-related disease. According to WHO, around 94% of the approximately 350,000 cervical cancer deaths recorded in 2022 occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
This imbalance should shape the global conversation about HPV prevention.
Countries facing the greatest burden must be represented in decisions about vaccine access, financing, delivery, and policy. A global life-course approach cannot simply export models developed elsewhere. It needs to account for different health systems, disease burdens and access challenges.
The goal is shared, but implementation will look different from one country to another.
From evidence to action
The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), together with more than 60 supporting organizations, is calling for greater attention to adult HPV vaccination through its Advancing Adult HPV Vaccination: From Evidence to Action initiative.
The Call to Action focuses on strengthening prevention across the life course and addressing populations that earlier vaccination programs may have missed. It calls for:
- Greater consideration of adult HPV vaccination
- Broader and more inclusive prevention strategies
- Better integration of vaccination into healthcare systems
- Stronger public and professional awareness
- Policies that address gaps in access
- Meaningful participation from low- and middle-income countries in shaping global approaches
It’s not shifting attention or resources away from adolescent vaccination; it examines the gaps that remain once those programs are in place.
The public health opportunity is clear: protect adolescents early, close gaps where they exist, and avoid treating previous missed opportunities as permanent.
Protecting people across the life course
HPV vaccination has already changed what is possible in cancer prevention. The next challenge is ensuring that prevention strategies reflect the full reality of HPV-related disease.
That means recognizing cancers affecting women and men. It means strengthening routine programs while considering those who were never reached. It means designing access around people rather than expecting people to navigate complex systems.
Most importantly, it means changing the question.
Instead of asking only: Who is the vaccine traditionally offered to?
Public health leaders should also ask: Who remains unprotected, and what can be done about it?
The WFPHA’s Advancing Adult HPV Vaccination: From Evidence to Action Call to Action brings this question to the forefront.
HPV-related cancers are preventable. The evidence is there. The tools are available.
The next step is to expand prevention.