Janhvi Kapoor spreads HPV awareness with debut stand-up special ‘Leap, Laugh and Learn'

Every year, the world observes International HPV Awareness Day on March 4. And Janhvi Kapoor has been at the forefront of spreading awareness about Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in collaboration with Serum Institute of India’s initiative, ‘IPledgeToPrevent’.

Ahead of International HPV Awareness Day 2024, Kapoor created a ‘Bawaal’ on social media by taking a leap forward to draw attention to the disease. Leveraging that one extra day of this year – the Leap Day – Kapoor educated audiences about the causes and risks of HPV through laughter with her debut stand-up special, ‘Leap, Laugh and Learn’.

A series of teasers lead to the launch of Kapoor's debut stand-up special. During her stand-up special, Kapoor urged the audience to make informed decisions about HPV prevention. She shed some light on the “Khatarnak Jodi” of HPV and Cancer.

“Cervical, vaginal, anal, and oral cancers are some cancers that may develop in your body because of HPV,” shared Kapoor. The actress also bust a prevalent myth: “HPV only affects women.” How to prevent yourself from contracting HPV, you may ask? Well, the answer is as simple as consulting a doctor to begin with. Furthermore, she emphasised the importance of getting an HPV vaccination for individuals between the ages of 9 to 26. Drawing the curtain on the stand-up special, Kapoor urged audiences to “pledge to prevent HPV.”

Expressing her thoughts on bringing about a change with Leap, Laugh and Learn, Kapoor said, “As an actor, I believe it's imperative to support initiatives like IPledgeToPrevent to bring about an actual change in society. HPV poses a major health concern that could lead to life-threatening consequences, including cervical cancer. Yet, there's a lack of awareness about the risks associated with HPV. To challenge that notion, we came up with the idea of spreading HPV awareness through laughter with my debut stand-up special. With Leap, Laugh & Learn, we aim to encourage individuals to spend that one extra day of this leap year to focus on what's important for their health – like HPV awareness. With my fans' support, I pledge to prevent, because knowledge is our best protection against HPV. I am also hopeful that they too will leap towards HPV awareness with me.”