HPV vaccination does not affect fertility in adolescents, study finds

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination does not have a negative impact on the fertility of young women.

The study published in Pediatrics found that receiving recommended vaccinations, like for HPV, has no increased risk of primary ovarian insufficiency, also known as premature menopause.

According to the research, vaccination rates for HPV and other recommended adolescent vaccinations, such as tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal conjugate, have lagged behind.

This is because of a general belief that said vaccinations have a negative impact on fertility.

“Reports of premature menopause after HPV vaccination have received a lot of media attention, including on social media,” said Allison Naleway, lead author and investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon.

“However, these reports were based on a small number of isolated cases and must be interpreted with caution.

“To bring clarity to this issue, we conducted a study of nearly 200,000 young women and found no elevated risk of POI after HPV or other recommended vaccinations.”