CHOOSE TO KNOW: PROMOTING THE HPV TEST

 

For the past 60 years, the Pap test has been perceived as the gold standard for cervical cancer screening. Then the FDA approved a prophylactic vaccine that generated a lot of hype and issues, since neither the Pap nor the vaccine provide complete protection to all women. Yet a simple HPV test can improve screening sensitivity to 100% when paired with the Pap and leads to a diagnosis and treatment that can help save lives. Our strategy was to inform media, healthcare providers and women that the Pap test and vaccine alone were not enough to prevent cervical cancer.  We created and launched "Choose to Know" a national and local market campaign advising women about the importance of knowing their HPV status. We featured real women, from a young career woman in her twenties to a Tony Award winner, speaking about how their their lives have been changed by cervical cancer. Each woman was proof positive of the need for, as well as the efficacy of, the HPV test. The Choose to Know campaign generated in excess of 1 billion impressions including: The Oprah Winfrey Show, People, Parade, The View, The Today Show, The New York Times, all national women's magazines and newspapers across the country, and helped contribute to an increase in HPV testing. The program was also recognized within the PR industry and awarded the Silver Sabre.