Virus del Papiloma Humano (Human Papilloma Virus)

Objective: To educate the Panamanian community about HPV and HPV vaccinations.  Specifically, after watching the educational video the intended audience members should understand how HPV is transmitted, the importance of protection, the availability of the vaccine for free for girls ages 10-11 and the number of doses that are needed for full protection.

Target audience: The target audience for this video is the 24 de Diciembre community, particularly parents and adolescents.

Video development: A video format was selected for this intervention after conducting interviews in the Centro de Salud with patients and healthcare providers.  In Panama, there is a strong cultural preference to receive information through a video format rather than a print source. A script was developed that would educate adolescent girls and parents about HPV and the HPV vaccine. The film’s messages were supported through facts collected from interviews and literature reviews that included information from many sources including the CDC and Ministry of Health. The information was narrated by a local, well-respected nurse and educator that works closely with the community.

Budget: No funding was available to produce this video.  The nurse that narrated the film was a volunteer and all recording and editing was done by ourselves using a basic digital camera.

Accompanying materials: The video is meant for educating members of the 24 de Diciembre community about HPV and HPV vaccinations.  An accompanying handout was designed to be distributed after viewing the video.  The handout summarizes the key points from the video that the viewers should remember and share with their peers.