%0 Thesis
%9 Master Essay
%A Hormechea, Elsmarie
%D 2013
%F pittir:18449
%I University of Pittsburgh
%T The HPV connection project: increase awareness of the association between oral cancer and HPV
%U http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/18449/
%X Description of the Problem Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is confirmed to be a risk factor for oral cancer. Recent studies on oral infections show HPV as a cause of oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the throat, tongue, soft palate, and tonsils. HPV has become increasingly more common among men than women in the U.S. with risk factors that include certain sexual behaviors. The goal of “HPV Connection Project” is to disseminate information on HPV, its causes, populations at risk, its consequences and to increase awareness of behaviors that lead to risk of HPV infection. Awareness includes increasing knowledge regarding sources of risk, safer behaviors, and prevention approaches available. Approach The aim of this document is to outline an intervention to: 1. Increase awareness of risks and prevention approaches in populations most at risk through linguistically and culturally appropriate multi-modal information delivery mechanisms. 2. Increase community engagement by facilitating access to and utilization of reliable information among teenagers, parents, health providers and the general population. 3. Raise public awareness about the relationship between HIV and the risk of oral cancer. 4. Train dental health professionals on early identification of HPV and how to be authoritative information multipliers. Methods The “HPV Connection Project” focuses on the development of educational tools on HPV screening, prevention and treatment, including dissemination of information through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to the target populations. It also includes presentations and webinars oriented to train dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants on HPV and related dental issues. In order to leverage the reach of existing organizations, the project seeks to create partnerships with existing educational projects in health promotion and training including the Pennsylvania/ MidAtlantic Aids Education and Training Center (PAMA AETC), the Telehealth AETC Appalachia Project (TAAP), the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, dental health organizations and societies, the public health system, and the education system. The HPV Connection Project will also seek to develop relationships with other relevant public health organizations, and collaborate with high school superintendents, health educators, and nurses to engage them in discussions and distribute educational information. It will be a pilot dissemination model in one school district in Allegheny County, PA to provide current CDC guidelines for use of HPV vaccine by school health professionals. Anticipated Results and Outcomes 1. Increase in the use of the HPV vaccine provided to young women and men (aged 11 to 26) as recommended by CDC. 2. Improve the early identification of existing HPV infection by dental providers through oral examination. 3. Refer youth who have oral manifestations of HPV to dental care and medical treatment. 4. Become a recognized web source for information about HPV prevention, access to information on vaccination and treatment for parents, schools, dental and other dental health practitioners. 5. Integration of HPV information into the health programs within one secondary school. 6. Suggest policy changes for consideration by school districts to require HPV vaccination for students aged 11 to 18.