HPV vaccine linked to lower pregnancy complication risks

A new Swedish study published in the journal BMJ suggests that HPV vaccination may offer benefits beyond cancer prevention, specifically by reducing risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet and the University of Gothenburg analyzed approximately 625,000 first-time births in Sweden between 2006 and 2023. The data indicated that women vaccinated against HPV before pregnancy faced a lower risk of several complications. Specifically, vaccinated women showed a 5% lower relative risk of preterm birth before the 37th gestational week. For births occurring between the 28th and 31st weeks, the risk reduction was closer to 15%.

Other observed benefits included a 5% lower risk of spontaneous preterm birth, a 7% lower risk of premature rupture of membranes, and an 8% lower risk of significant developmental delays in newborns. The study noted that these protective effects were particularly strong among women who received the vaccine before the age of 17.

While the findings are statistically significant, researchers noted that because the study is observational, it does not definitively prove that the vaccine is the direct cause of these improved outcomes, as other lifestyle or socioeconomic factors could be involved.