HPV vaccine recipients ‘overlooking cervical cancer screening’

Patients receiving vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) are being led to believe that this makes cervical cancer screening unnecessary, according to a new study.

Data from a University of Oxford study funded by Cancer Research UK has revealed a lack of clarity among parents and vaccination-aged girls in Britain over the link between HPV and future cancer risk.

Many parents were found to have given consent for the vaccination in the belief that future cervical cancer screening would be unnecessary, while general awareness of screening measures was found to be low.

Dr Alison Clements, who led the study, said this shows the need for more information and educational materials to be provided in relation to this issue.

"Future invitations for screening will need to stress the importance of attendance regardless of whether the individual has had the HPV vaccination or not," she proposed.

According to data from the NHS, 2,800 cervical cancer cases are diagnosed each year, with more than 99 per cent of these being caused by HPV.