A new study from the University of Aberdeen has found that women who received the HPV vaccine at school are much less likely to experience serious pregnancy complications later in life, including pre-eclampsia, early rupture of membranes and late pregnancy bleeding.
The study was jointly funded by NHS Grampian Charity and by Newton Fund PhD Fellowship, and carried out by a team of researchers led by Dr Andrea Woolner, Senior Clinical lecturer at the University of Aberdeen and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Early Pregnancy Lead at NHS Grampian.
The research looked at data from more than 9,000 women from the north-east which has been collected over many years through the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank. This long-running local resource gave the team the unique chance to explore the long-term impact of the vaccine in this world-first study.
Dr Woolner says, “We know from previous research that if the pregnant mother had previously had an HPV infection, or previously undergone treatment to the cervix for precancerous changes, they were at an increased risk of pregnancy complications such as pre-term birth.
“So, we wanted to know if having the HPV vaccine, reducing the likelihood of HPV infection and thereby the need for cervical treatments, would reduce the chances of some of these pregnancy complications.
“We found that women vaccinated against HPV had better outcomes than those who were not vaccinated for several common pregnancy complications.
“This reinforces the importance of uptake of the HPV vaccine before the age of 15 years. Not only does the HPV vaccine protect against cancer – we have found in our research, that the vaccine may also protect against serious pregnancy related complications.”
This is a fantastic example of how research happening right here in Grampian can have a real and lasting impact on people’s lives, and it’s only possible because of the generosity of our supporters.
Every donation we receive helps to enhance the health and wellbeing of the people of Grampian by supporting projects and research studies which explore new ideas, develop better treatments, and improve care over and above what the NHS can normally provide. By supporting NHS Grampian Charity, you’re helping to make sure people across Grampian get the very best start, the very best care, and the very best chance of a healthy future.
We are incredibly grateful to our donors and supporters who made this research study possible, and to Dr Woolner and her colleagues at the university for their incredibly dedicated work. Thank you for helping us make healthcare better for the people of Grampian.
Would you like to help fund more life-changing work? Click here to donate to other incredible research taking place right here in Grampian.
You can read the full story on the University of Aberdeen website by clicking here.