Every year in Sweden, approximately 1,000 women and 550 men are diagnosed with HPV-related cancers. Since 2020, boys have also been offered the HPV vaccine in schools — a key step for public health and gender equality. Still, the link between sexuality and vaccination needs more discussion, says Lisa Lindén, Associate Professor of Gender and Technology, who leads a Forte-funded project exploring how the gender-neutral HPV vaccination is received in schools.

HPV (human papillomavirus) is the virus responsible for genital warts and, more rarely, cancers of the cervix, genitals, and throat. In 2010, the national immunisation programme in Sweden introduced HPV vaccination for girls aged 11–12, as it was shown to effectively prevent cancer when given before sexual debut. A decade later, boys of the same age were also included in the programme.

But what challenges and changes has this gender-neutral policy brought, and how has it influenced views on sexuality and sexual health? Lisa Lindén and Josefin Persdotter from Chalmers University of Technology, along with Ylva Odenbring from the University of Gothenburg, explored these questions through school vaccination observations and interviews with school nurses, students, parents, and policymakers.

More knowledge and support needed to reach children effectively
“The vaccine is often framed as a cancer vaccine, which is also how it’s presented in schools. But it actually targets a sexually transmitted virus. That means we need to be able to talk to children about sex, sexual responsibility, and gender equality in a way that’s appropriate for their age. Simply avoiding the subject — a common approach we observed — is not a good solution,” says Lisa.

The study revealed that children often have questions and reflections that don’t emerge in large-group settings or during vaccination. With boys now included, a broader spectrum of sexual identities and practices has come into focus, along with significant differences in children’s knowledge of sex and physiology.

“To address children’s questions properly, school staff need more knowledge and guidance on how to discuss sexuality in a broader context — ideally in smaller groups, more often. Ideally, HPV vaccination should be combined with education on sexuality, consent, and relationships,” 

Source: https://forte.se/en/news/news/2025-07-16-a-shot-for-the-future---what-happened-when-the-hpv-vaccine-became-gender-neutral