HPV Vaccine and the Recent JAMA Study: Knowing the Numbers

The recent study on Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) prevalence in U.S. women (published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association) added fuel to the fire in the debate over whether states should mandate the vaccine for middle-school-aged girls. The numbers were dramatic -- the overall HPV prevalence among U.S. women age 14 to 59 was 26.8%. The prevalence was 24.5% in girls 14 to 19; 44.8% in women 20 to 24;and 27.5% in women 24 to 29.

However, those of you who viewed my Health Politics piece on the new HPV vaccine know that only certain types of HPV are associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer. It's important to note that, as mentioned in the JAMA study, HPV types 6 and 11 (low-risk types associated with genital warts) and 16 and 18 (high-risk types associated with cervical cancer) were detected in 1.3%, .1%, 1.5%, and .8% of females (respective to the age groups mentioned above).

So while HPV in all forms is collectively common in U.S. females, it is relatively low in those forms that current vaccines would actually prevent, including the types associated with cervical cancer. Somehow that didn't come through clearly in the debate and coverage when the vaccine first became available. This is not to say we don't need a vaccine, but only to be sure that when we weigh the risks and benefits, we look at the break-out numbers.