A new study has linked the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine to a population health benefit, namely, decrease in anogenital warts. The study results were released at the CDC's 2016 STD Prevention Conference, Sept. 20 to Sept. 23, in Atlanta.
Researchers estimated anogenital wart prevalence from 2006 to 2014 using healthcare claims data from 35 million privately insured individuals. The individuals were between the ages of 18 and 35 years.
The study found that anogenital wart prevalence for women, aged 15 to 19 years, decreased from 2008 to 2014. Additionally, wart prevalence for women, aged 20 to 24 years, also decreased between 2009 and 2014. Wart prevalence in 25-to 29-year old women also decreased, but less rapidly.
In men, researchers observed some decrease in anogenital wart prevalence from 2009 to 2014 for those aged 15 to 19 years. Researchers saw more significant declines in men between the ages of 20 and 24 years.
While it is unclear whether the HPV vaccine is the cause of the decrease, researchers observed the most significant decreases in anogenital warts among both genders aged 15 to 24 years and in women aged 25 to 29 years — the groups most likely impacted by the HPV vaccine.