The seminar "Protecting against HPV, safeguarding adolescent health" took place on 26/6. Experts included Dr. Bach Thi Chinh, Medical Director of VNVC Vaccination System; actress Ngoc Lan; and writer and journalist Hoang Anh Tu, who hosted the event.
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Guests share their insights at the "Protecting against HPV, safeguarding adolescent health" seminar. Photo: Van Ha |
Guests share their insights at the "Protecting against HPV, safeguarding adolescent health" seminar. Photo: Van Ha
Actress Ngoc Lan opened the seminar by sharing her confusion about raising her son, who is entering puberty with its many physiological and psychological changes. She sometimes found herself surprised by his questions about menstruation and condoms. The actress admitted to initially not knowing how to talk to him, relying on her nephew as an intermediary. While initially effective, this approach didn't foster a direct connection between mother and son.
Writer Hoang Anh Tu shared similar experiences, recalling his son's question, "When can I have sex?". With his two daughters, he was taken aback by their irritability and mood swings as they entered puberty. He quickly recognized these changes and adopted a supportive approach instead of reacting with annoyance or avoidance.
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Actress Ngoc Lan discusses real-life situations with her son entering puberty. Photo: Van Ha |
Actress Ngoc Lan discusses real-life situations with her son entering puberty. Photo: Van Ha
The seminar emphasized the importance of listening. Many children avoid talking to their parents after facing harsh reactions or being dismissed for "talking nonsense". Anh Tu suggested that parents should change their attitudes to encourage communication, guiding children by, for example, buying books and reading them together, rather than forcing them to study alone. He encouraged his wife to have open and private conversations with their daughters.
Families should also openly discuss HPV (human papillomavirus). This is a group of around 200 identified virus types. Transmission occurs through various means, including heterosexual or homosexual sexual contact, intercourse, rarely from mother to child during childbirth, and autoinoculation from genitals to the anus or from genitals to the mouth.
HPV often presents no symptoms and clears on its own. However, persistent infection can lead to genital warts, precancerous lesions, and related cancers.
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Dr. Chinh discusses HPV and its prevention in adolescents. Photo: Van Ha |
Dr. Chinh discusses HPV and its prevention in adolescents. Photo: Van Ha
Dr. Chinh stressed that parents need to understand HPV transmission to effectively guide their children in prevention. They should create a comfortable atmosphere where children feel understood and not judged. Instead of reacting with anger to questions about sex, condoms, or sexuality, parents should equip themselves with the knowledge to provide age-appropriate, scientific explanations. Families can also consult official brochures, encourage children to attend school health consultations, and guide them to reliable websites for scientific information.
Dr. Chinh recommended early HPV prevention, ideally before exposure to the virus. Parents often don't know when their children become sexually active. "With proper prevention," Dr. Chinh said, "families can reduce worries about diseases caused by this virus."
Van Ha
This content was co-developed by the Vietnam Preventive Medicine Association (VPMA) and MSD and verified by the VPMA. It is sponsored by MSD for educational purposes. Consult a healthcare professional for further advice.
