How safe are HPV shots? The vaccine protects girls aged 9–14 from cervical cancer, yet some parents in Ghana are still doubtful — and keeping their daughters from getting vaccinated. Across the country, many teens are saying yes, joining thousands across 28 African nations, taking this vital step to protect their health.
00:00Hey lovely people, I'm Hadijat and this is my very first report with Girls Off Mute.
00:05I'm coming to you from Tamalee, right here in northern Ghana.
00:09Today, we are diving into a super important topic called cervical cancer.
00:13Ghana is stepping up and joining countries around the world to vaccinate girls like us and keep us safe from this disease.
00:19What's up girls?
00:21Hi.
00:21I will start with you, Fahima. What do you know about cervical cancer?
00:25Cervical cancer is a group of abnormal cells in the civic, which is basically the lower part of the womb.
00:31What about you, Rahama?
00:32What I know about cervical cancer is that cervical cancer is an illness that has effects on the reproductive system of females and later has effects on us in the future.
00:43What about you, Roshita?
00:45I think cervical cancer is an illness caused by the human papilloma virus.
00:49I know that cervical cancer is an illness caused by the human papilloma virus and the human papilloma virus is an infection that gets both male and female.
01:01To me, cervical cancer is the group of abnormal cells in the cervix of females, mostly at the lower part of the womb.
01:10Ghana is carrying out a free cervical cancer vaccine for girls aged 9 and above.
01:16Have you gotten the shot already?
01:17Yes, I've gotten it.
01:19When I was about to get the shot, I was a little nervous, but deep down, it will save me in the future.
01:25So I calmed myself down and took the shots.
01:28What about you?
01:30My parents told me not to get it because they are afraid of the side effects in the future.
01:34I was planning on getting one, but I had to obey what my parents said.
01:38They said it may have a side effect.
01:41Maybe the whites can make it and it can now kill me in the future or something may happen to my womb in the future.
01:48What about you?
01:50Yes, I've gotten the shot.
01:51But at the beginning, I was a bit nervous.
01:55After sitting there, I did not know whether I should start screaming or I should start crying because it was very, very painful.
02:02So at the end, okay, so it's all good.
02:05I did not because my parents said I shouldn't because it will have some side effects in the future.
02:12But I felt lonely seeing my friends taking them, but I was not.
02:18I also, I was interested in taking one.
02:21But because my parents said I shouldn't, that's why I did not take them.
02:25What about you, Rahama?
02:27Yes, I've taken the vaccine, but the most interesting part is that when I sat on the chair, I was a bit nervous.
02:35So after taking the shot, I was like, oh, it doesn't hurt.
02:38I got nervous because I've never gotten a vaccine before.
02:42So I thought it would have side effects on me.
02:44And after taking it, I'm deeply sure that it will protect me from getting cervical cancer.
02:50What will you tell a friend who hasn't yet gotten the shot?
02:53I'll tell a friend that put courage in yourself and go sit on the chair and get the vaccine because it will help you in the future.
03:00I'll encourage the person to go take a shot because it will help the person in the future.
03:05Do you know how the vaccine helps protect us girls?
03:08Yeah, I know how it protects girls because I know if you take it before you have the disease, it will prevent you from getting it.
03:15What about you, Rishida?
03:16It will build the immune system and help the immune system kill the disease before you can even notice it.
03:23Naturally, the immune system can fight the disease.
03:26But with the help of the vaccine, it boosts the immune system to fight the disease so that it doesn't affect you in the future.
03:34Let's now hear what the experts have to say about the whole cervical cancer vaccination program for girls like us.
03:40Hi, doctor.
03:41Hi.
03:42How safe is the HPV vaccine that girls between 9 and 14 are getting here in Ghana to prevent cervical cancer?
03:50This vaccine is very, very safe.
03:53Over several years, it has been used in other countries to protect young girls against cervical cancer.
04:01And in those countries, they've not recorded any problems with girls taking this vaccine.
04:07It is highly protective and we recommend that all parents let their young girls participate in this exercise.
04:14It is very safe.
04:15Some of us think we don't need the vaccination unless we are sexually active.
04:20How will you explain why early vaccination matters?
04:23It is true that human papilloma virus that leads to cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted infection.
04:32Now, it is also true that most people get the virus at their very first sexual debut.
04:40We are also aware from studies that the immune response is much better when the vaccine is given before the young person is exposed to the HPV virus.
04:55And that is why we have chosen between the ages of 9 and 14 for young people to have the vaccine, develop their immunity and protect them before they even start having sex.
05:09So it is very important that young people get this vaccination before they start having sex.
05:15Because we know that about 60% of people will have HPV virus exposure within one year of starting having sex.
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