St. Thomas Youth Encouraged to Take Advantage of New HPV Chatbot

Centre Manager and Counsellor at St. Thomas Teen Hub, Chantal Williams, is urging youngsters in the parish to take advantage of a new Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Chatbot to better educate themselves about the virus and the vaccine.

The Chatbot was launched during a recent Teen Conference at the Rudolf Elder Park in Morant Bay and is part of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) global U-Report Platform.

“We are encouraging our young persons to use the Chatbot, especially since we [at Teen Hub] cater to persons between 10 and 24, and the ideal time to get it (vaccine) is when you’re young,” Ms. Williams told JIS News.

To access the Chatbot, persons can send the words ‘HPV Chat’ to the U-Report number, 876-838-4897.

Through the platform, they will access engaging content about the virus and the vaccine as well as learn about the risks of HPV and prevention methods. It will also guide the user as to the nearest facility where they can get the vaccine as well as educate them about what to expect.

The vaccine is an important step in the fight against cervical cancer.

The illness, which affects women globally, is the fourth most common cancer and is almost exclusively caused by HPV.

Ms. Williams indicated that the Teen Hub has been heavily promoting the HPV Chatbot as a crucial resource in raising awareness about the vaccine, through social media, flyers, in-person conversations, coaching sessions, educational games, and more.

Information from UNICEF indicates that the Chatbot was designed with the young user in mind, with a conversational style shaped by a group of young people.

“They have avatars that they use and communicate with the kids, so it is very user-friendly for them because they always want to have somebody to talk to, especially my kids (users of St. Thomas Teen Hub),” Ms. Williams said.

She hails the St. Thomas Teen Hub partners UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and Wellness for shining a light on rural youth by launching the HPV Chabot in the eastern parish.

“Persons keep saying that St. Thomas is now on the map but St. Thomas has always been on the map, and with the extra support from these partnerships, the youth – people are seeing that they are special. We want them to know that they are unique and special and that they deserve attention,” Ms. Williams said.

Parish Behaviour Change Coordinator for St. Thomas, Nehanda Brown, noted that the launch of the Chatbot at the teen conference enabled persons to sign up and interact with the platform on spot.

The teen conference was held in observance of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Awareness Month and included an influencers panel featuring St. Thomas native Taveionn Telfer, which was well received by the young attendees.

“The discussion was very rich. They discussed parenting and the fact that creating a safe space for your child will create an atmosphere where they are more open to discussing STIs. They also spoke about self-actualisation, being your true self and working towards whatever it is that you want to accomplish in life,” Ms. Brown reported.

Deeming the event a success, she indicated that youngsters in the parish have even been making requests for STI testing via social media and are generally showing more awareness on the topic.

The Teen Conference was held under the theme ‘Talk, Test, Treat’.