Systemic recommendations on the promotion of HPV vaccinations based on international social marketing campaigns

Cervical cancer is considered one of the most common cancers leading to deaths among women worldwide. It is caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. HPV vaccination is regarded as an efficient tool in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer. However, despite the effectiveness of vaccines and implementation of vaccination programs, many countries face challenges with unsatisfactory vaccination rates, which may result from limited public trust or insufficient knowledge. Social marketing campaigns are implemented in many countries to promote HPV vaccination as a part of cervical cancer prevention. Despite being relatively new, social marketing is used to encourage a transformation in attitudes and behaviors towards those beneficial for health. The objective of this study is to determine the application of social marketing in the prevention of cervical cancer caused by HPV infection worldwide and to analyze selected social marketing campaigns conducted in various countries (Australia, Japan, Denmark, the United States of America, Peru, and Nigeria). As indicated by the analysis, social marketing tools are more advanced in developed countries that dispose of a greater number of organizations compared to developing countries. While some campaigns focused solely on the topic of HPV vaccination, others expanded their scope to include additional preventive measures. The most frequently used distribution channel was the Internet. Nevertheless, social marketing tools are still not being fully used in the prevention of cervical cancer, particularly that caused by HPV infection. There remains room for improvement on this topic worldwide.