Incidence of genital warts declines after HPV vaccine
October 15, 2009
A new study suggests that the incidence of genital warts in Australia went down quickly and significantly after the introduction of HPV vaccine in 2007. Genital warts are the most common sexually transmitted infection. It's estimated that up to 75,000 Canadian women aged 15 to 49 currently have visible genital warts.
Starting in April 2007, Australia made the HPV vaccine available to all girls in schools. In July 2007, it expanded the program to women under the age of 27 outside of schools. The vaccine protects against four types of the human papillomavirus or HPV, which can cause the most common forms of genital warts and cervical cancer. Before the vaccine was introduced, 15 per cent of women treated at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre had genital warts, but the rate has now declined to six per cent. Australia is seeing the decline now because that 70 per cent of women under age 28 have been vaccinated, by far the highest coverage in the world.
Since 2008, the researchers also found an average quarterly decline of five per cent in the incidence of genital warts in heterosexual men but not homosexual men.
It's too soon to see any effects of school-based programs to vaccinate girls against HPV in Canada, said Ronda Phillips, executive director of the Halifax Sexual Health Centre. "They just started the program a couple of years ago. It might be quite some time before we see any reduced incidence of genital warts."
The study's authors concluded, "Our data suggest that a relatively rapid and marked reduction in the population prevalence of genital warts among vaccinated women may be achievable through an HPV vaccination programme targeting women. Our data also supports some potential benefit being conferred to men."
Read the full article online at http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/10/15/genital-warts-hpv-gardasil-vaccine226.html
Starting in April 2007, Australia made the HPV vaccine available to all girls in schools. In July 2007, it expanded the program to women under the age of 27 outside of schools. The vaccine protects against four types of the human papillomavirus or HPV, which can cause the most common forms of genital warts and cervical cancer. Before the vaccine was introduced, 15 per cent of women treated at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre had genital warts, but the rate has now declined to six per cent. Australia is seeing the decline now because that 70 per cent of women under age 28 have been vaccinated, by far the highest coverage in the world.
Since 2008, the researchers also found an average quarterly decline of five per cent in the incidence of genital warts in heterosexual men but not homosexual men.
It's too soon to see any effects of school-based programs to vaccinate girls against HPV in Canada, said Ronda Phillips, executive director of the Halifax Sexual Health Centre. "They just started the program a couple of years ago. It might be quite some time before we see any reduced incidence of genital warts."
The study's authors concluded, "Our data suggest that a relatively rapid and marked reduction in the population prevalence of genital warts among vaccinated women may be achievable through an HPV vaccination programme targeting women. Our data also supports some potential benefit being conferred to men."
Read the full article online at http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/10/15/genital-warts-hpv-gardasil-vaccine226.html
