After recovering from Prostate Cancer in September 2017, I was astonished to be diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of terminal Penile Cancer in September 2020 and for good measure – Kidney Cancer.

The treatment for the Penile Cancer has been lengthy and multi-faceted, involving several operations; including the unimaginable eye watering one, a partial penectomy! Extensive Radiotherapy, Sepsis and two six-month rounds of high octane chemotherapy. All of which had extensive recovery periods. My last treatment was 22 months ago which I am currently recovering from and with my wife, learning to live with the consequences.

In hindsight I think that having a very short period of time between receiving the news and the initial operation, meant that my wife and I couldn’t give it too much thought, which was probably a good thing, as we weren’t able to dwell too much on the doom and gloom of the consequences.

As well as having never heard of Penile Cancer I had virtually no idea what HPV was and subsequently have been shocked to discover just how many cancers have been caused by this “unknown” virus. I am naturally delighted that the medical profession and their scientific colleagues continue to make significant progress against cancer and against HPV, with inoculations and now a single shot gender neutral vaccine program for boys and girls. They need help though to get this vaccine programme rolled out and I am willing to do what I can by telling the world that HPV and these related cancers exist and that they affect men & women equally. I believe there is a great need to make the HPV cancer conversation as normal as the flu. I want everyone to know that HPV is present in a large percentage of the population – in fact everyone who has kissed someone else will most probably have it!

I passionately believe that all people everywhere need to know about it and to actively do all we can to encourage the HPV Vaccine roll-out to all boys and girls, right across the globe. The phrase HPV should be as well known as MMR. The goal of a gender neutral single shot vaccine for all boys and girls shouldn’t be a moonshot or a shot in the dark – it’s just a shot in the arm.

I would urge everyone to do all that we can to get that shot in the arm for everyone.