Chronic human papilloma virus (HPV)-infections can lead to cellular changes in the cervix that can be a pre-stage to cervical cancer.
Surgical treatment of these pre-stages gives an increased risk of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies. As the HPV-vaccine can prevent pre-stages of cervical cancer, it may therefore reduce the number of preterm births. A new Norwegian study has calculated the benefits of HPV-vaccination.
Cervical cancer development is a step-wise process that begins with minor cell changes caused by HPV infection. Cellular changes can progress and become more serious. Long-term, they can cause cervical cancer if untreated. Serious cellular changes are treated by surgically removing a part of the cervix (conisation). This gynaecological procedure gives an increased risk of a woman giving birth preterm in subsequent pregnancies.
In a newly published study in Acta Obstretica et Gynecologica , Katrine D. Sjøborg and Anne Eskild calculated how many preterm deliveries could be avoided by systematic HPV-vaccination. Sjøborg is a consultant at Østfold Hospital and Eskild is based at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Akershus University Hospital.
Calculations in the study are based on the following parameters:
- proportion of pregnant women treated with conisation
- proportion with preterm births among women who have had conisation compared those who have not had conisation
- proportion of conisations that can be prevented by HPV-vaccination
- proportion of fertile women who are HPV-vaccinated
Benefits of HPV-vaccination