LACE CAMPAIGN BLOG
New HBO Show GIRLS Gets People Talking about HPV
By
Michelle Reid, May 16, 2012
TV, while it's seldom a source of accurate information and realistic situations, is often a great tool for breaking taboos and changing norms. US Vice President Joe Biden recently said, in support of gay marriage that 90s sitcom Will & Grace "did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody's ever done so far." By exposing audiences to characters who embody different values, backgrounds or lifestyles, TV shows can actually build tolerance and change attitudes.
So we're glad to see new HBO series Girls, which follows four overeducated, struggling-yet-privileged 20-somethings in New York, tackling the subject of HPV. HPV, the virus that can lead to cervical cancer and also may cause genital warts, is exceedingly common: an estimated three-quarters of Canadian women will have it in their lifetime. For most, it's a transient infection that causes no long-term problems; the majority of those infected never even know they have it. Despite how common and generally harmless it is, it still carries the stigma of being sexually-transmitted. So when a recent episode of Girls found its protagonist Hanna finding out that she has HPV, it was refreshing and realistic, and opened up a public dialogue about the virus.
Tags:
health promotion,
Sexual Health
Michelle is the Outreach Coordinator for the LACE Campaign. She joined the Hello Cool World team in 2011 after completing her Master of Health.
She has spent many years working with grassroots community organizations, and continues to be active as a freelance writer and sexual health advocate.
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Don't Forget What's Inside!
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