Researchers in Finland studied whether women vaccinated against HPV as teenagers could safely have less frequent cervical cancer screening. They followed over 5,600 women who received the HPV vaccine at ages 12-15. At age 22, women were assigned to either low-intensity screening (every 5 years) or high-intensity screening (every 3 years).
The study tracked these women for up to 18 years, checking for cervical cell changes that can lead to cancer. They found that by age 28, the risk of these cell changes was nearly identical between the two groups. The hazard ratio was 0.97, meaning the risk was essentially the same whether women had less frequent or more frequent screening.
This research is specific to women who received the HPV vaccine as adolescents. The results do not apply to unvaccinated women or those vaccinated at different ages. The study shows that for this particular group, less frequent screening appeared equally effective at detecting cell changes. However, these are early findings from one country's healthcare system and should not change current screening recommendations without further research.