Study: HPV rates down dramatically due to vaccines

Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they've found that since the CDC started recommending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination a decade ago, the prevalence rate has dropped 64 percent for girls ages 14 to 19 and 34 percent for women ages 20 to 24.

Researchers for the study, released Monday in the journal Pediatrics, compared data from two periods: 2003 to 2006, the year the CDC recommended the vaccination for young women, and 2009 to 2012. Although the vaccination rate is still low in the United States, researchers say this is the first time a study has shown evidence that the vaccination is having an effect on women in their 20s, The Guardian reports. "As women who got the vaccine when they were younger move into these older age groups, we should continue to see a continued decrease," lead author Dr. Lauri E. Markowitz said.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, affecting 79 million Americans, the CDC says. There are more than 40 different HPV types, with subtypes 16 and 18 responsible for most of the cancers caused by the virus.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up