In 2012, 270,000 women died from cervical cancer, caused nearly exclusively by the spread of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) according to the WHO. The organization additionally reports most sexually active people will come into contact with the virus at some point in their lifetime. While 90 percent of people overcome the HPV infection within two years, some cases persist and progress to cancers.

Students reflect on traumatic and troubling experiences in academic and familial settings regarding homophobic language and the death of a father.