HPV 'cures' are popping up online, but here's the truth about the STI and its vaccine
Misinformation runs rampant online regarding the human papillomavirus, or HVP, and the Gardasil-9 vaccine, a shot proven to prevent more than 90% of cancers caused by the common sexually transmitted disease.
USA Today
On TikTok, there are videos where women talk directly to the camera. They promote the "natural remedies" they say cleared their infections and discuss "holistic healing" recommendations. On Facebook, moms debate if the vaccine could harm their kids' reproductive health. And in tweets, people share claims about adverse reactions to the shot.
They're all talking about HPV, or human papillomavirus. It's the most common sexually transmitted infection, but it's also preventable thanks to the vaccine Gardasil-9. Yet online, misinformation runs rampant about the vaccine, which is also known for historic drops in cancer.
The goal is to “inoculate” people to misinformation with facts around the vaccine, said Dannell Boatman, an assistant professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine. The HPV vaccine has the most misinformation of any vaccine, research suggests.
“We know that it affects health behavior,” Boatman, who studied HPV vaccine misinformation across Facebook, TikTok and X, told USA TODAY. “We have to take the time to understand the specific messages, narratives and the conversations that are going on.”
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