Vaccinazione anti-papillomavirus: Nuove prospettive nelle donne adulte

Perspectives of HPV vaccination in mid-adult women. Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) represents an important step in the control of HPV infection and related cancers. Although worldwide primary target of vaccination programs is the adolescent girl, yet significant benefits can still be obtained in non-naïve sexually-active older women with encouraging clinical data up to the age of 45 years. Better understanding of the natural history of HPV diseases across different age groups is still needed. Nevertheless, HPV acquisition continues throughout life and, although persistence might not be comparable in older women when compared to their younger counterparts, HPV associated cancers still occur as well as benign lesions such as genital warts. Existing data show the efficacy and safety of vaccines beyond 25 years old, in both naïve and non-naïve women. Considering known epidemiological features of HPV diseases in midadult women, current evidence calls for further considerations of on-demand vaccination of women up to 45 years of age.