80% Reduction in Cervical Precancers Thanks to the HPV Vaccine (The One RFK Jr. is Suing)

This commentary is a repost from “Sex on Wednesdays” by Martha Kempner on Substack. Find her other articles on The Queen Zone here.

Guess what? The HPV vaccine works. We already knew that because HPV rates have dropped and cervical cancer rates are steadily declining. Now, a new study shows a dramatic drop in the rates of cervical precancers among young adult women.

This is good news that everyone other than RFK Jr.—who is part of lawsuits against the maker of the vaccine—should be celebrating.

You May Want To Read: RFK Jr.’s HPV Vaccine Lawsuits: Who Really Stands to Profit?

As we all know by now, HPV is a group of over 100 different types of viruses. Some types of HPV can cause genital warts and other types—referred to as high-risk types—can cause cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, or anus, as well as cancer in the back of the throat. (Actually, another new study suggested that we didn’t all know the part about oral cancers, but now you do.)

HPV is so contagious that nearly all sexually active people will contract it at some point in their lives. In most cases, the body clears the HPV infection before you even know you have it. But persistent infections with high-risk types can lead to cancer.

The HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006. The original version protected against four types of HPV—those most likely to cause genital warts and those most likely to cause cancer. An updated version released in 2014 protects against nine high-risk types.

The vaccine is recommended as part of the routine immunizations given at age 11 or 12. Not because anyone thinks your sixth grader is or should be sexually active, but because the goal is to get kids vaccinated before they’re ever exposed to the virus. Moreover, younger kids have been shown to have a great immune response to the vaccine. If they get it before they’re 15, they only need two shots (as opposed to three for older teens and adults).

Originally, the vaccine was only recommended for girls and young women and you could only get it until age 26. Today, it is recommended that everyone regardless of sex or gender be vaccinated. The vaccine is approved for use from age 9 through age 45.

As I said, we already know the vaccine is working. Infections with the types of HPV that are most likely to cause cancers and genital warts have dropped by 88 percent in teen girls and 81 percent in young women. Cervical cancer rates have also been dropping since the introduction of the vaccine. Rates for women ages 20 to 24 declined 11% each year between 2012 and 2019. This is the age group most likely to have gotten the vaccine before they were sexually active.

The new study looks at cervical precancers. Cervical cancer develops gradually as cells experience abnormal changes. These changes can be detected through pap tests which take swabs of cells from the cervix and examines them under a microscope. (The official name for this type of testing is cytology.) These tests can detect abnormal cell changes—sometimes called cervical dysplasia—long before they become cancer. There are treatments that can prevent cancer from ever forming. This is why screening is so important.

Precancers are classified by severity or likelihood of becoming cancer. Mild cases are classified as CIN1 and usually do not require treatment because the body can clear these mild changes on its own. More severe cellular changes are classified as CIN2 and CIN3. These are more likely to become cervical cancer if not treated. Some people with CIN2 are treated while others are monitored closely to see if the abnormal changes persist. Most people with CIN3 receive treatment to prevent the changes from becoming cervical cancer.

The new study found that rates of CIN2 and CIN3 have fallen dramatically especially among the youngest women. Between 2008 and 2022, rates of CIN2 precancers fell 79% among young women who were 20 to 24 at the end of the study period. During that same time rates of CIN3 precancers among this group fell 80%. Rates also dropped among older women. Those who were 25 to 29 in 2022 saw a 37% drop in CIN3 precancers. Remember, people who were 20 to 29 three years ago, were pretty damn young (under 13) when the vaccine came out and had a good chance of getting it before they became sexually active.

In contrast, precancer rates rose among women who were 40 to 49 and 50 to 64 in 2022. These women would have been between 24 and 48 when the vaccine was first introduced which means most of them missed the window for vaccination. If they were vaccinated, it was likely after they’d become sexually active.

The study was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which seems to have been taken off of the no-fly list for now. I wonder, however, if studies like this that could have a direct impact on RFK Jr.’s bank account will change that. (Oh wait, it will have a direct impact on RFK Jr.’s bank account because enriching a close family member is never a conflict of interest.)

Read Next:

• New HPV Self-Test Revolutionizes Cervical Cancer Screening
• A New Era in Cervical Cancer Screening: Women Can Now Self-Collect for HPV