The potential role of HPV vaccination in the prevention of infectious complications of pregnancy

Abstract

There is now incontrovertible evidence that HPV is the cause of almost all cases of genital warts, cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. Moreover the current review of the recent literature on HPV in relation to pregnancy found strong indications that HPV plays an important role in adverse outcomes of pregnancy. HPV may contribute to infertility and may increase the risk of miscarriage. Recent studies indicate a significant rate of vertical transmission of HPV between mother and child but whether the mode of delivery makes a difference to the risk of transmission remains unknown. HPV infection appears to be correlated with both spontaneous preterm birth and preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes.

Keywords::

• condylomata acuminata
• HPV
• infertility
• miscarriage
• pregnancy
• pregnancy outcome
• preterm birth
• preterm prelabour rupture of the membrane
• semen

Financial & competing interests disclosure

UB van Zwol has received an unrestricted grant of 50.000 DKR for her PhD study on HPV and pregnancy from Sanofi Pasteur. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Further research is needed to clarify the impact of HPV on pregnancy outcome.

• HPV infection may contribute to infertility.

• The majority of studies on vertical transmission of HPV show a significant correlation between HPV status in mothers and infants.

• The vertical transmission of HPV to children is mostly cleared in the first 6 months of life.

• More studies are needed to clarify whether the mode of delivery plays a role in the risk of vertical transmission.

• HPV infection in early pregnancy has been documented.

• Condylomata acuminata in pregnancy can be a cause of juvenile recurrent papillomatosis.

• Conization as a proven risk factor of preterm birth is now questioned.