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Adolescent health

HPV vaccine protects vaccinated and unvaccinated women, study finds

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A large, long-term study has found that the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in community settings is highly effective in protecting young women from infections caused by the cervical-cancer-causing virus—including women who didn’t even receive the vaccine.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and is the primary cause of cervical cancer.

HPV also causes other genital cancers as well as head and neck cancers in both women and men. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, HPV is responsible for more than 690,000 new cancer cases each year—about 4.5 per cent of all cancers globally.

Lead author Jessica Kahn, M.D., M.P.H. is professor of paediatrics and the Dr Ernest Baden Chair in Head and Neck Pathology at Einstein.

She said: “There are two encouraging takeaways from our study.

“First, HPV vaccines work remarkably well in a real-world setting, even among women at high risk for HPV and who may not have received all vaccine doses.

“Second, we saw clear evidence of herd immunity, meaning when enough people are vaccinated, the vaccine indirectly protects unvaccinated people by reducing overall virus transmission.

“These results reinforce the potential of the HPV vaccine to prevent infection and, ultimately, eliminate cervical cancer globally.”

The research team conducted six studies in Cincinnati of 2,335 adolescent and young adult women between 2006—just before the first HPV vaccine became available—and 2023.

Participants ranged in age from 13 to 26 at enrolment.

Many reported sexual behaviours that increased risk for HPV (79 per cent had two or more male sexual partners) and 51 per cent had a history of at least one sexually transmitted infection.

Over the 17-year study period, HPV vaccination rates rose from 0 per cent to 82 per cent. As vaccination coverage increased, the rates of HPV infection dropped dramatically among vaccinated participants

Infections from HPV types covered by the 2-valent vaccine fell by 98.4 per cent

Infections from types covered by the 4-valent vaccine dropped by 94.2 per cent

Infections from types covered by the 9-valent vaccine declined by 75.7 per cent

“These outcomes show that HPV vaccines are highly effective outside of controlled trials and could dramatically reduce rates of cervical cancer and other HPV-caused cancers, including other genital cancers and head and neck cancers,” said Dr Kahn.

The researchers also found strong evidence of herd immunity.

Among unvaccinated women, infections with HPV types covered by the 2-valent vaccine decreased by 71.6 per cent.

Meanwhile, infections with HPV types covered by the 4-valent vaccine dropped by 75.8 per cent

Dr Kahn noted that the high degree of herd immunity was likely related to robust vaccination rates and vaccination of boys as well as girls.

While there wasn’t enough data yet to confirm herd protection from the more recently introduced 9-valent vaccine, the results are promising.

“In the U.S. and other countries with widespread HPV vaccination programs, cervical cancer rates are already declining,” Dr Kahn said.

“Yet in 42 countries, it remains the leading cause of cancer death among women.

“Globally, only 27 per cent of girls have received at least one dose of this lifesaving vaccine – with coverage ranging from just 1 per cent in the Eastern Mediterranean region to 68 per cent in the Americas.

“By expanding uptake of this highly safe and effective vaccine, and ensuring access to screening and treatment, we can achieve one of the greatest public health victories of our time: the elimination of cervical cancer worldwide.”

Adolescent health

WUKA brings Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre to keep girls swimming through puberty

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This summer, WUKA and triple Olympian Hannah Miley MBE are bringing their Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre with one clear mission: to prove that periods should never keep anyone out of the water

At a time when 84 per cent of teenage girls in the UK say their interest in sport declines after starting their period – and nearly 70 per cent report skipping sports or swimming due to menstruation – WUKA’s immersive community event is tackling one of the most overlooked barriers to girls’ participation head-on.

WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party was created as a safe, inclusive space for teens to swim on their periods with confidence.

Following a series of sold-out events across the UK, including Eastleigh and Stonehaven in Hannah Miley’s hometown of Aberdeen, the London-based Olympic venue is a result of growing demand from teens and parents seeking supportive, stigma-free spaces to stay active during menstruation.

Why This Matters?

For many young people – particularly those who are not ready to use tampons due to age, comfort, cultural reasons, or parental guidance – swimming during their period can feel inaccessible.

WUKA’s period swimwear offers an alternative designed to provide comfort, coverage, and confidence, helping ensure that periods don’t mean sitting on the sidelines.

The new one-hour London takeover combines swimming, education, and empowerment in one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues.

Breaking The Stigma While Making A Splash

So much more than a product event, WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party is a fully immersive experience featuring a DJ-approved summer playlist, inflatable pool installations, and professional underwater photography capturing barrier-free swimming moments. Every teen will also receive a curated £80 wellness goodie bag, including free WUKA swimwear.

But more than anything, they’re about freedom, confidence, and belonging, ensuring the confidence to swim, period, or not, continues long after they leave the water.

Hannah Miley MBE says: “Being an athlete taught me that your cycle isn’t a weakness, it’s just something to manage.

“Partnering with WUKA for this Pool Party is about showing young swimmers that with the right support and the right kit, they don’t have to press pause on their lives or their sport because of their period.”

WUKA Founder Ruby Raut says: “This is about more than a pool party – it’s about changing what inclusion in sport actually looks like.

“Too many girls step back from swimming and physical activity because of period stigma or lack of options.

“Through community-led events like this, we’re breaking barriers, building confidence, and making sure no one feels excluded from sport because of their cycle.”

Saturday 30th May 2026 | 5–6pm | London Aquatics Centre

Want to join the pool party? Follow this link to buy your tickets

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Adolescent health

France to reimburse young women for cost of reusable period products

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France will reimburse reusable period products for women under 26 and those on low incomes, in a move aimed at tackling period poverty.

The measure is expected to help 6.7m people, almost a tenth of France’s population of 69m, from the start of the next academic year in the autumn.

Women under 26 with a state health insurance card, as well as women of all ages who receive special healthcare support because of limited income, will be able to claim reimbursement after buying the products from a pharmacy. The cost will be covered through the country’s social security system.

Parliament approved the measure as part of the country’s social security budget for 2024. However, no decree was issued to bring it into force, prompting anger among feminist groups and companies making the sustainable sanitary items.

A survey of 4,000 women in France in November found that one in ten had used alternatives to mainstream period products, such as ripped-up clothes, because of tight budgets, according to French charity Dons Solidaires.

France cut sales tax on period products from 20 per cent to 5.5 per cent in 2016. In 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to sign into law free universal access to period products in public buildings.

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Adolescent health

Newly-launched Female Health Hub will support grassroots football players

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A new Female Health Hub launched by the English FA will support women and girls in grassroots football in England with trusted advice on health issues affecting play.

The hub brings together expert-backed guidance, practical tools and player insights in one place, giving women and girls practical advice and reassurance on female health in football.

It has four core aims: to help women and girls better understand their bodies and how female health affects performance and participation, to educate players on key health topics and when to seek further advice or support, to provide practical strategies to help navigate common female health challenges, and to help break down taboos and normalise conversations around female health in football.

Users of the hub will also be able to hear directly from members of the England women’s national team, who share their own experiences of navigating female health matters while playing at the highest level of the game.

“Our ambition is to create a game where women and girls can thrive,” said Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football.

“To achieve that, it’s essential that players feel supported in environments that understand and respond to their female health needs.

“We’ve heard directly from grassroots players that they want better information and support around female health, but that they often don’t know where to find it.

“The launch of the Female Health Hub marks an important step in changing the landscape.

“We want every player to feel confident in her own skin and supported without judgment, so she can feel empowered by her body, rather than held back by it.”

The platform was launched following research conducted by the FA that highlighted the need for better education and support around female health in football.

According to the FA, 88 per cent of adult players surveyed said their menstrual cycle has an impact on their ability to train or play, but 86 per cent reported they had never received education about the menstrual cycle in relation to football performance and training.

The research also found 64 per cent of women experience issues related to sports bras or breast health while playing football, despite sports bras being considered one of the most important pieces of playing kit.

Players also expressed strong interest in learning more about injury prevention, at 87 per cent, nutrition, at 84 per cent, and mental health, at 77 per cent, in relation to female health.

The first phase of the Female Health Hub focuses on three of the most requested topics: menstrual health, breast health and injury resilience, with further content to follow, including nutrition and pelvic health guidance.

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