Florida Woman Advocates for HPV Awareness After Three Cancer Diagnoses

Eileen McGill Fox, a Florida school teacher and mother of four, has been diagnosed with three separate cancers linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). Following her diagnoses, she has become a patient advocate to raise awareness about the virus and its prevention. Fox has undergone a hysterectomy and continues regular treatments.

Background and Initial Diagnosis

Eileen McGill Fox is a Florida resident, school teacher, and mother of four. After learning her husband had been unfaithful, she underwent screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Those tests returned negative for syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV.

Approximately one year later, during a routine Pap smear, Fox was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is not typically included in basic STI screenings. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV infection increases the risk for several cancers, including those of the cervix, anus, vulva, vagina, and throat.

Medical Timeline and Treatment

Fox’s medical diagnoses occurred over several years:

• She was diagnosed with vulvar cancer in February 2019.
• She was subsequently diagnosed with cervical cancer.
• In 2023, she was diagnosed with anal cancer.

Fox has undergone a hysterectomy and continues to receive regular cancer treatments. Her treatment regimen has included the surgical removal of much of her labia, as well as regular laser and skin removal procedures on her vulva and in her anal canal to address precancerous cells.

Prevention and Advocacy

The CDC states that the HPV vaccine, which became available in 2006, protects against the types of HPV that cause most HPV-related cancers. Fox stated she had not considered getting the vaccine, as she was already married with children when it was introduced.

Fox now serves as a patient advocate. She has stated that her goal in publicly sharing her story is to help prevent similar situations for others and to reduce the stigma associated with discussing HPV-related cancers.

Statements from Eileen McGill Fox

In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Fox made several statements regarding her experience and advocacy:

"When I tell people I have anal cancer, I'm like, 'It is what it is.' Let's talk about vulvas and anuses and cervixes. Let's remove the stigma and the shadow language for dealing with it."

"If it can happen to a married woman of 30 years, then it can happen to anybody. I'm a mother of four, living a life of work and community service, then I find myself on the receiving end of this vicious, vicious virus."