That’s probably not a headline you expected to read this weekend – admittedly, not one we thought we’d write – but Harry Styles’s comeback has prompted the NHS to share a vital warning.
It’s been four years since the One Direction star released his last album, Harry’s House, so to say this week’s announcement sparked a frenzy online would be an understatement.
On Thursday, the Grammy-winning pop star, 31, revealed that his fourth solo record, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, would drop on March 6, breaking his hiatus from the spotlight after wrapping up his Love On Tour shows in July 2023.
In doing so, Harry inspired his fans to get creative with their social media posts and memes, but perhaps the most important one of all came from the official NHS Instagram page.
Highlighting the need for women to attend their cervical screenings, the NHS made a lighthearted reference to fans who have grown up with the As It Was hitmaker.
Alongside a photo of him on The X Factor in 2010, when Harry was just 16, they wrote, ‘If you remember this Harry…’
‘And you’re excited for this Harry…’, they continued, next to an image of his 2026 album artwork.
‘It may be time for your cervical screening!’, they stated.
In the caption, the healthcare system further explained that ‘cervical screening is for women between the ages of 25 and 64’.
‘Everyone with a cervix should be offered screening.
‘You’ll be invited every 5 years from when you’re 25 to 64 years old and you’ll get your first invitation a few months before you turn 25.
‘Cervical cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the cervix. It’s most common in women aged between 30 and 35.’
The message concluded by stressing that ‘cervical screening can help prevent cervical cancer by checking for high-risk HPV. So, it’s important that you book and attend your appointment when you are invited’.
It wasn’t long before fans began heaping praise on the post, declaring it ‘brilliant’ work.
‘Wait this actually reminded me to book – top tier marketing’, commented @livjaneford.
@radicallove.co.uk added: ’10/10 post, pay rise for the comms team me thinks !’
‘Fantastically done’, said @bhanlon89, while @vic_rimmer called it the ‘best advert ever!’
What is Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?
Human Papillomavirus is a group of viruses that affect the skin and moist membrane linings of the body – including the mouth, throat and cervix.
There are more than 100 strains of the infection, and around 30 affect the genital area,
Genital HPV infections are very common and highly contagious – and spread easily during sexual intercourse, and through skin-on-skin contact of the genital area.
Most HPV infections are cleared by the immune system within two years, and don’t cause serious harm, aside from verrucas and skin warts.
Some strains cause genital warts, and abnormal tissue growth in the cervix, and can sometimes lead to cervical cancer.
While there is no treatment for the virus itself, medication is available for the effects.
For more information visit the NHS website.
‘Excellent public health messaging 👏👏’, echoed @drfrankiejs.
As explained by the NHS, regular cervical screenings are necessary to check the health of the cervix and help prevent cervical cancer.
The appointment itself is typically swift, taking between five and 10 minutes.
It involves a nurse or doctor taking a sample of cells from the cervix with a soft brush, which will be sent off for testing at a lab for high-risk HPV or abnormal changes.
After this, most people will not need any further tests, since the risk of getting cervical cancer is very low.
However, the results letter sent to you will go into detail about what they mean and whether further procedures are required.
Back to Harry, this isn’t the first time the Watermelon Sugar vocalist has been involved in raising awareness of important causes – albeit inadvertently on this occasion.
The megastar has long been an advocate for mental health, having praised therapy, meditation, and wellness trends in his interviews.
‘When you’re trying to make music, it’s so navel-gazing,’ he previously told Zane Lowe while promoting Harry’s House. ‘Making an album, I feel like, is the most self-indulgent time you can think of, really. Because you’re just like, “How do I feel about this?” I think with the therapy thing, I just realised I was just getting in my own way.’
‘It’s been a thing where I’ve definitely felt it have an impact on my life, and something that I’ve kind of introduced some friends to, who were going through stuff.’
Harry further told Better Home & Gardens that therapy made him feel more ‘alive’.
‘I wanted to be the one who could say I didn’t need it. I think that accepting living, being happy, hurting in the extremes, that is the most alive you can be. Losing it crying, losing it laughing – there’s no way, I don’t think, to feel more alive than that.’
What’s more, he donated $6.5million (£4.9m) to various charities worldwide thanks to the success of his Love On Tour shows.
The donations benefitted environmentalism, gun safety, and other causes, one being reproductive health, which came after he proudly stated on The Howard Stern Show: ‘I don’t think anyone should be able to make decisions about anyone else’s body.’
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