The HPV vaccine is still a fairly recent development, but it has now become common enough that we’re beginning to see research on other beneficial affects outside of preventing human papillomavirus and related cervical cancers.
One of our first examples of this comes from a recent study conducted at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet. Researchers looked at data from 24,000 women aged 10-44, all of whom had received the vaccine. What they learned was that while women who were 15 years or older when being vaccinated had 50% fewer instances of genital warts, when data from younger women was compiled the difference was staggering. According to the study, women who received the HPV vaccine between the ages of 10 and 14 had their chance of developing genital warts reduced by 93%.
Of course, you can’t look at these numbers without considering other deciding factors. In particular, the age of the women in question has to be weighed against outside influences. It’s common sense, for example, to assume that the older women potentially had far more sexual partners since receiving the vaccine than those at the lower end of the age range.
That said, a jump from 50% to 93% is difficult to ignore under any circumstances. There may be other factors at play here, but it stands to reason that eliminating those factors would still result in a statistically significant reduction in the occurrence of genital warts related to the HPV vaccine when women are vaccinated at a younger age.
More about the HPV Vaccine
Vaccination for HPV hasn’t been widely available for long, but it has quickly become a popular choice for younger women, as well as for parents who want to protect their daughters from potentially developing cervical cancer. The vaccine is only affective, however, if you have not already been exposed to human papillomavirus. Since an estimated 80% of the population will be exposed at some point in their lifetimes, it is recommended that young women get vaccinated before becoming sexually active.
If you are interested in learning more about the HPV vaccine or would like to schedule an appointment, call All About Women Obstetrics and Gynecology at one of the phone numbers listed above, or contact us online.
