The human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) roll out in Australia in mid-2007 has resulted in a drop off in the number of new cases of genital warts in females aged under 27 years, say University of New South Wales researchers. The vaccination was introduced in many countries, including New Zealand, against four common strains of HPV virus known to be present in cervical cancer, and which also account for many cases of sexually transmitted genital warts. The new study findings were presented at the International HPV Conference in Montreal, in the week beginning 5 July 2010. Pooled results from eight sexual health clinics across Australia showed the HPV programme available to all Australian females 12 to 26 years of age has led to a 60% drop in the number of women aged under 27 diagnosed with genital warts. As knock-on effect, there was also a smaller reduction in the number of cases in heterosexual men, but not so in women older than 27 or men who have sex with men. Principal investigator Professor Basil Donovan from the University’s National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research says, “While we knew from clinical trials that the vaccine was highly effective, Australia is the first country in the world to document a major benefit for the population as a whole.” (It will take longer to see any benefit in terms of cervical cancer cases because of the slow development of the disease.)