Minority women who received the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination even after becoming sexually active had lower rates of abnormal Pap test results than those who were never vaccinated, according to researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).

The study, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, conducted a cross-sectional study of 235 women, ages 21 to 30, undergoing routine cervical cytology testing. HPV status and demographic and behavioral characteristics were self-reported and verified with electronic medical records.

At the time of the study, 41 percent of the women had received at least one HPV vaccination; 97 percent were vaccinated after sexual debut. Ten percent of women had an abnormal cervical cytology result. The prevalence of abnormal cytology was 65 percent lower in women who received at least one HPV vaccination, as compared to unvaccinated women.

Read more: http://www.bu.edu/sph/2014/07/29/incomplete-hpv-vaccination-may-offer-some-protection/