Prepregnancy HPV Vaccination Linked to Lower Risk for Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination before pregnancy is associated with a lower risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in The BMJ.Zhongsong Zhang, from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and colleagues conducted a nationwide, population-based, matched case-control study to examine the association between quadrivalent HPV vaccination before pregnancy and the subsequent risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Data were included for 624,713 singleton births among nulliparous women in Sweden between 2006 and 2023; 14.8 percent had received quadrivalent HPV vaccination before pregnancy.The researchers found that quadrivalent HPV vaccination was associated with lower odds of all included adverse pregnancy outcomes after adjustment for confounders. Significant associations were seen for preterm birth (<37 weeks), very preterm birth (28 to 31 weeks), spontaneous preterm birth, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, and severe small for gestational age (adjusted odds ratios, 0.95, 0.85, 0.95, 0.93, and 0.92, respectively). Women vaccinated at younger ages generally had a more pronounced risk reduction."Beyond the established benefits of HPV vaccination in cancer prevention, the demonstrated reductions in adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with vaccination before conception may translate into substantial long-term health and economic benefits," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Prepregnancy HPV Vaccination Linked to Lower Risk for Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

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