When Lila McGill Fox ’85 learned that her husband had been unfaithful, she went to a clinic for testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI). Relieved when screens for syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV came back negative, she thought she could move on. But a routine Pap smear a year later revealed she had human papillomavirus (HPV), a common STI.
Two months later, she was diagnosed with vulvar cancer. A cervical cancer diagnosis followed, and in 2023 she was diagnosed with anal cancer. Lila is still undergoing treatment.
Her doctors say the cancers were preventable. The HPV vaccine—available since 2006—is one of the few vaccines proven to prevent cancer. More than 80% of sexually active people will encounter HPV during their lifetime. In many cases, the virus clears on its own, but for roughly 40,000 people in the U.S. each year, it leads to cancer. Although HPV is most associated with cervical cancer, it has also been linked to anal, penile, and head and neck cancers.
“I was woefully ignorant about HPV,” Lila says. Now she is a crusader for vaccination. “If there were a vaccine against breast cancer, every woman in this country would take it,” she says. “Yet for this one that prevents six different types of cancers, people aren’t jumping on the bandwagon. I’m trying to normalize talking about anuses and cervixes and vulvas and throat cancers. Do not let shame or the silence around HPV lead you to neglecting your health or the health of your children.”
Lila connected with survivor-led advocacy organizations, trained as a patient advocate, and began counseling newly diagnosed patients with cervical, anal, and vulvar cancers. Today, she serves on panels, works with national organizations, creates educational videos on TikTok, and is preparing to lobby in Washington with the HPV Cancers Alliance.
Throughout her treatment, the help of women has been transformative. “The support I have garnered among my classmates and other Wellesley women has been unbelievable,” she says. “I have never stood alone. That has been because of my cadre of women. They just showed up.”
She has found clarity in her work. “There’s now purpose to my pain,” Lila says.
For more information about HPV, visit the HPV Cancers Alliance at hpvca.org.
Post a Comment
We ask that those who engage in Wellesley magazine's online community act with honesty, integrity, and respect. (Remember the honor code, alums?) We reserve the right to remove comments by impersonators or comments that are not civil and relevant to the subject at hand. By posting here, you are permitting Wellesley magazine to edit and republish your comment in all media. Please remember that all posts are public.