The success story of HPV vaccination

A study published by researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the powerful impact of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, first approved in 2006, in preventing precancerous lesions detected through cervical screening.

- 

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, and certain strains can lead to cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and other cancers later in life.

Each year, around 14 million Americans contract HPV, and the virus is responsible for approximately 10,800 cases of cervical cancer annually.

Since 2008, the CDC's Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Impact Monitoring Project has tracked trends in precancerous cervical lesions to evaluate the vaccine's effectiveness.

The findings are striking.

Among women aged 20-24 screened for cervical cancer between 2008 and 2022, rates of moderate-to-high-risk precancerous lesions dropped by about 80 percent.