The Impact of the HPV Vaccine on Preterm Birth in British Columbia

Recent evidence has suggested that human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination may reduce the risk of preterm birth. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of linking existing provincial databases to begin to understand whether the risk of preterm birth is lower in HPV-vaccinated women in British Columbia (BC).

In this population-based retrospective cohort study of women delivering infants in BC, data on birth outcomes and HPV vaccination status from the BC Perinatal Data Registry and the Panorama Public Health Information System were linked. We compared the overall and spontaneous preterm birth rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated women using logistic regression.

Among women who were age-eligible for HPV vaccination in school-based programs, there were 5447 deliveries from 5399 individuals between 2015 and 2018. Of these, 2925 (54.2%) women had been vaccinated in the school-based program. Overall and spontaneous preterm birth were significantly associated with previous preterm delivery and maternal substance use, but were not found to be associated with HPV vaccination status.

We were readily able to link provincial databases to assess the role of HPV vaccination in preterm birth risk. These pilot data did not show a significant association between HPV vaccination status and preterm birth. Subsequent larger studies are warranted to better assess the presence of a relationship, which may promote vaccination and result in improved reproductive outcomes for women and their infants.