Anyone who has cervical cancer would have been triggered for 24 hours as Poonam Pandey decided to pull a publicity stunt. A death hoax pulled by a celeb on such a serious issue is nothing but dangerous. Cancer is a grave issue, especially cervical cancer.
Poonam Pandey played with the sentiments of over 90,000 Indian women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year.
Cervical cancer starts in the cervix's cells. The cervix, the lower end of the uterus, connects to the vagina (birth canal). Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among females in India. It develops slowly. Over time, if not destroyed or removed, the abnormal cells may turn into cancer cells and spread into the cervix and surrounding areas.
Even among celebs, some have battled cancer. Yuvraj Singh, Sonali Bendre, and Ayushman Khurrana's wife, Tahira Kashyap, are among those who have emerged victorious while battling cancer gracefully.
Poonam Pandey's PR team pulled this elaborate stunt and shared the fake news of her demise one morning via her Instagram. It was very heartbreaking, and all her fans were saddened. But the very next day, her PR team released a video declaring she was well and alive. Within a few hours, this became one of the biggest controversies on social media.
All this happened just a day after it was announced that the government intends to include the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for girls aged 9-14 in the country's immunization program. In the recent Budget Session 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government will take the initiative to promote and spread awareness about the HPV vaccine. Preventing cervical cancer is possible with the HPV vaccine and early detection tests.
HPV vaccines can be given starting at the age of nine years. All preteens require HPV vaccination to protect them from HPV infections that may cause cancer later in life. CDC recommends that children aged 11-12 years get two doses of HPV vaccine spaced 6-12 months apart. Teens and young adults up to age 26 who have not completed the HPV vaccine series should receive HPV vaccination.
Instead of spreading awareness about why people must vaccinate their children, Poonam Pandey's stunt did the opposite. What could have and should have been a healthy conversation about women's health was turned into a tone-deaf stunt.
Some people will be inspired by it, while others will bear the consequences. Can you imagine once again coming across news of someone's death on social media? Even if it's true, would you believe it?