Breaking news: HPV Rate in Teen Girls Drops More Than 60 Percent

The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections among teenage girls in the United States has dropped by more than 60 percent since the vaccine against the cancer-causing virus was introduced a decade ago, according to a new study.

The researchers found that, within six years of the vaccine's introduction in 2006, the prevalence of HPV among girls ages 14 to 19 decreased by 64 percent.

And, among women ages 20 to 24, the prevalence decreased by 34 percent over that same time period, the researchers found.

The new results suggest that the HPV vaccine "is a very effective vaccine," said lead study author Dr. Lauri E. Markowitz, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Among girls ages 14 to 19, the researchers found, 11.5 percent were infected with HPV before the vaccine was introduced in 2006. That percentage dropped to 4.3 percent for the years between 2009 and 2012, the researchers found.

Among women ages 20 to 24, the prevalence dropped from 18.5 percent before the vaccine was introduced to 12.1 percent in the years after it was introduced.

The CDC currently recommends the HPV vaccine for girls and boys at 11 or 12 years of age, administered in three doses over six months.

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