Vaccines for the HPV virus, picture above, are linked to lower rates of premature birth BSIP SA / Alamy
Widespread HPV vaccination appears to have prevented thousands of premature births in Australia, and could leadÌýto improvements in infant health worldwide.
Women who have had HPV, the human papillomavirus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer, are at greater risk of having premature babies. This may be because the treatment for high-risk HPV infections involves removing affected cells from the cervix, which can prevent cancer but may sometimes affect the mechanical strength of the cervix.
Australia was one of the…
