Artist and throat cancer survivor Michael Rees is urging anyone eligible for the human pappilomavirus (HPV) vaccine to make sure they get it. Michael’s cancer was caused by HPV, and he highlighted how a lot of men from his generation (Michael is 62) are now dealing with HPV-linked cancers because the vaccine was not available to them.
“They can’t treat it once you have it. Your body just has to fight it off,” Michael says.
Read More RELATED: Don’t Be Swayed By the Myths — The HPV VaccineI Safe HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that can significantly increase a person’s risk of developing several cancers. Though the disease is most commonly linked to cervical cancer, it can also cause cancers of the head, neck, anus, penis and more. The HPV vaccine is approved for young children because it is most effective if administered before a person becomes sexually active. “Not everyone who could be vaccinated is getting vaccinated,” Michael points out. “You can prevent the suffering of a loved one 40 or 50 years from now by making sure that they have the HPV vaccine. … I really would hope that everyone who has children, before they become sexually active, would absolutely get the vaccine. In fact, this is the primary reason I wanted to come here today. To make sure that somehow my voice became a part of the chorus.”
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