Rural life is a choice made by 1 in 5 people, but they don’t choose to be at higher risk of cancers, including HPV cancers. We must do more to make sure those living in rural America are protected. People living in rural areas possess many strengths. It is these same strengths that can make them feel invincible when it comes to cancer, but that is not the case. HPV vaccination is cancer prevention for people living in rural communities, too. We must work with people in rural communities to understand how to change the pattern of low HPV vaccination rates and high HPV cancer rates.
Preventing HPV Cancers with Rural Communities: Quarterly Updates and Opportunities
Join us for our 2026 rural HPV vaccination quarterly updates meetings. These meetings will feature progress on priority action items and showcase successful efforts to promote HPV cancer prevention with rural communities.
Wide Open Spaces is a series that began in early 2023 and is featured in our program’s monthly newsletter. The articles include contributions from healthcare providers, academics, and community leaders who are working with rural communities to improve HPV vaccination rates and reduce HPV cancers. We welcome guest contributors to share their experiences and strategies. If you are interested in contributing, please email us at PreventHPV@stjude.org.
In 2023, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program convened a Rural HPV Cancer Prevention Think Tank, bringing together key thought leaders and partners to identify priority actions for improving HPV vaccination in rural communities. From March to August 2023, the think tank met to recommend strategies that guided early national efforts. Nearly two years later, from April through October 2025, the program engaged national rural HPV cancer experts to revisit the original priority actions for improving rural HPV vaccination to assess progress, explore new opportunities, and revise the priorities to reflect current conditions and accelerate impact.
The revised Rural HPV Vaccination Priorities which will guide our work into the future are:
Implement Best Practices: Use best practices and evidence-based interventions to increase HPV vaccination
Promote and integrate best practices and evidence-based interventions (e.g., starting at age 9, health care provider training, rural-focused communication) to increase HPV vaccination with rural communities and share existing resources from partners to maximize impact.
Build Capacity: Strengthen health care providers’ and professionals’ training and support systems change
Provide focused training, support, and workflow improvements for rural health professionals to address unique rural challenges to enhance HPV vaccination delivery and increase HPV vaccination. Train and empower trusted messengers in rural communities to prioritize HPV vaccination for cancer prevention.
Preserve and Expand Data Resources: Leverage existing data and bolster data assets to guide informed actions
Protect, strengthen, and expand rural-specific HPV data systems to inform action, support advocacy, and empower communities with accessible, actionable data. Support immunization information systems and data analysis to inform policy and programming and increase public access to understandable data.
Foster Partnerships for Progress: Build alliances and cultivate collaborations for collective impact
Build and strengthen cross-sector collaborations—engaging non-traditional vaccinators and local organizations like schools, faith groups, and farmworker coalitions – to support HPV vaccination. Amplify successful rural efforts, support community-led programming, and provide tools and training for sustainable, community-driven solutions.
Monitor Context: Scan the rural health landscape for new challenges and opportunities
Track changes in the rural health landscape, including policies, funding, and misinformation. Translate these changes into actionable insights for rural partners, leveraging communication channels and strategic dissemination to ensure communities and those serving them are informed and empowered.
These revised priorities offer insight into the most impactful actions to increase HPV vaccination coverage and decrease the burden of HPV cancers among people living in rural areas of the U.S. They recognize that individuals act based on their environment, resources, history, and motivation—as well as what they know, think, and feel.
The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program is implementing programming and activities in line with these action steps to improve HPV vaccination coverage with rural communities. We will continue to work with thought leaders and partners in these efforts. Whether you're a provider, advocate, parent/caregiver, researcher, or community leader, there’s a role for you in this work. Together, we can ensure that every rural community has the tools, support, and opportunities to prevent HPV cancers. We welcome your participation and engagement.
