Multi-level School-based Intervention to Improve HPV Vaccine Uptake and Completion in South Africa

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally, and is causally linked to cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancers. HPV-associated cancers have a disproportionate impact in low-resource settings and nowhere is this evident than in South Africa, which has a uniquely vulnerable population due to the convergence of the largest HIV epidemic globally, with HPV rates of up to 85% in young women under the age of 25. For the clinical trial phase of this study, we intend to evaluate preliminary effects of a communications strategy and key criteria to advance to a full scale hybrid type 2 trial. Our systems-focused approach leverages established partnerships with area schools serving diverse populations who are not always effectively served by traditional healthcare channels.