Stop Thinking 'Mai Pen Rai': The Campaign Urges Action Before Complacency Turns into Cancer

The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, the Thai Red Cross Society, in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), has officially launched the public awareness campaign "Stop Thinking ‘Mai Pen Rai’ (It’s fine) to HPV"). Kicking off with a vibrant “Ten Hai Fit Yud Khid Wa HPV Mai Pen Rai” (Dance to Fit, Stop Thinking HPV is Fine) aerobic in Lumphini Park, the campaign aims to build accurate knowledge about Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and promote prevention by avoiding risky behaviors, undergoing screenings, and getting vaccinated. The launch featured insights from medical specialists alongside actress Amy Klinpratoom, who shared her real-life experience.

Despite significant advancements in HPV prevention, several socio-cultural obstacles persist within Thai society. These include embarrassment when discussing sexual health, fear of social stigma, and hesitation to undergo physical screenings. Consequently, many people neglect preventive care and only discover the infection when it has progressed to a critical stage.

The "Stop thinking ‘Mai Pen Rai’ (It’s fine) to HPV" campaign aims to shift public perception, urging society to realize that "embarrassment should never be an obstacle to prioritizing one's health" and that the silent threat of HPV is a health risk that can no longer be ignored.

HPV remains a major public health challenge in Thailand. According to GLOBOCAN 2022 data, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Thai women, with 8,662 new cases diagnosed and 4,576 deaths recorded annually. Furthermore, HPV is the leading cause of several other cancers affecting both men and women, including head and neck, anal, vaginal, and vulvar cancers, as well as genital warts. This highlights that misconceptions, shame, and neglect revention are the key obstacles to reducing infection rates in Thailand.

Prof. Suttipong Wacharasindhu, M.D., Director of Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, the Thai Red Cross Society, stated: "The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute is deeply committed to improving public health and well-being. Today, we must address a critical gap: while most Thais have heard of HPV, very few truly understand it. Many still view it as a distant concern. In reality, every single minute globally, someone is diagnosed with an HPV-related cancer. Almost every sexually active man and woman will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives, and the virus can hide in the body for more than 10 years without showing symptom, leaving people completely unaware of their risk.

This is why we want to equip Thais with the facts and urge everyone to prioritize prevention, regular screenings, and vaccination to ensure comprehensive action for people of all genders and ages."

To provide deeper medical insights, Suda Punrin, M.D., Head of Clinical Service and Research Department , Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute , added: "HPV is far more contagious than most people realize. In fact, you can contract the virus from just a single sexual activity encounter. It spreads easily through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity, including oral sex. While condoms might help reduce the risk, they cannot offer 100% protection. Conversely, the belief that HPV can be contracted from public restrooms is a myth with no medical evidence—the virus relies almost entirely on direct intimate sexual contact to spread.

Alarmingly, there is currently no drug that can directly eliminate the HPV virus. Therefore, the best approach is "prevention before infection" through three key strategies:

1. Avoiding Risky Behavior: Avoid having multiple partners to minimize exposure risk and practicing safe sex by using condoms during every sexual encounter.
2. HPV Vaccination: Today's HPV vaccines can prevent up to five types of HPV related-cancer, including cervical, head and neck, anal, vaginal, and vulvar cancers, as well as genital warts. Vaccination can start from 9 years of age for both boys and girls. Clinical data tracking vaccine efficacy and safety over 20 years shows that the HPV vaccine stimulates a strong and lasting immune response when a full course is completed.
3. Regular Cervical Cancer Screening: To detect and treat precancerous cellular changes before they develop into cancer.

To translate awareness into tangible action, the campaign hosted the pilot activity “Ten Hai Fit Yud Khid Wa HPV Mai Pen Rai” (Dance to Fit, Stop Thinking HPV is Fine) at Lumphini Park. The park’s aerobic plaza was transformed into an interactive educational space, highlighting that while physical exercise promotes general fitness, specific clinical prevention against HPV is also essential. The event featured HPV educational booths, HPV self-sampling cervical cancer screening (HPV DNA Self-Sampling), and an advocacy session led by Amy Klinpratoom.

Amy Klinpratoom shared her personal journey: "When I first started out in the entertainment industry, I never thought HPV would happen to me—until I tested positive for abnormal cells that could develop into cervical cancer. The fear and embarrassment caused me intense stress, and I had to monitor my symptoms for seven years before undergoing surgery to remove abnormal tissue. That experience was a massive wake-up call, and it’s why I want to tell everyone that HPV is not a distant issue, nor is it something to be ashamed of. Because it usually shows no symptoms, waiting until you feel sick might mean it has already progressed to cancer.

Today, medical technology has come so far. We have HPV vaccines that both boys and girls can get starting from the age of nine, as well as incredibly convenient and safe screening methods. Taking proactive prevention and early detection is easy yet effective step, better than facing stress or devastating losses when, the Thai Red Cross Society it was too late."

This collaboration between the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, the Thai Red Cross Society, the BMA, and health networks marks another vital step in proactive public healthcare to raise awareness, promote HPV prevention, and reduce the national disease burden for long-term sustainable health.

Under the National Health Security Office (NHSO) scheme, Thai women aged 30–59 (and high-risk individuals aged 15–29) holding a universal healthcare card (Gold Card) are eligible for one free HPV DNA cervical cancer screening test every five years. Eligible individuals can check their rights and book an appointment via the "Pao Tang" application by navigating to the "Health Wallet" menu.

Checking eligibility, or finding participating healthcare facilities for screening, please visit www.hpvknownow.com. You can also watch a step-by-step video guide on HPV Self-Sampling on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm7AJw_X1qQ.

For more information about HPV and prevention at http://www.hpvth.com

Illustrations & Press Release From:

Ogilvy (Thailand)

Eakkapop Panthurat, Phone: 06-1154-4616, Email: Eakkapop.panthurat@ogilvy.com
Jitthiwat Ratchakhom, Phone: 06-2614-5692, Email: Jitthiwat.ratchakhom@ogilvy.co