NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is holding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination clinics in universities for students who did not receive it in school.
The HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer, genital warts, as well as certain head and neck cancers, anal and genital cancers.
The clinics will be held at the University of the West of Scotland, the University of Glasgow, Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University over the next five weeks.
HPV infection is the cause of most cervical cancers, and having both the HPV vaccine and regular routine cervical screening will dramatically reduce the number of people with cervical cancer in Scotland.
A person can become infected with HPV through any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, through vaginal, anal or oral sex, and through sharing sex toys.
Dr Emilia Crighton, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Director of Public Health, said: “We are pleased to be taking our HPV immunisation programme into universities in our area.
“I would like to ask students who missed or did not receive the vaccine while they were at school to attend the clinics to get immunised.
“The HPV vaccine reduces the risk of developing certain cancers in adulthood, and we know that the virus is the main cause of cervical cancer.
“Having the HPV vaccine and attending routine smear screening appointments dramatically reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer.”
HPV immunisation is offered to all secondary school children aged 12 and 13 as it is most effective if given before a person is sexually active.
Pupils who are off school on the day the vaccination team visits will be vaccinated the next time they are delivering the programme.
The university clinics are designed to target those who either missed the vaccine or did not get it while at school, as well as students from overseas who did not attend school in Scotland and may not have been offered it.
Anyone up to the age of 25 who is not a student at university, and has not yet been vaccinated against HPV, can ask their GP to refer them through the Scottish Care Information Gateway to receive the immunisation.
It comes as NHSGGC launches a campaign encouraging students to prioritise their healthcare.
For more information about the HPV vaccine, please visit HPV vaccine – Immunisations in Scotland | NHS inform
