Do HPV vaccines increase the risk of cervical cancer?

In a tweet, Secretary of Health RFK Jr. claims that HPV vaccines increase someone’s chances of having cervical cancer.

It is not clear where RFK Jr. got this claim, because he did not share his sources. When we searched online for “HPV vaccination increases cervical cancer,” we found a headline that said, “HPV vaccination linked to higher rates of cervical cancer screenings globally.” If someone only reads the first part of that headline, they might misunderstand it. The full title explains that it is about higher screening rates, not higher cancer rates.

There is also a published letter (not a research study) suggesting that HPV vaccination may be linked to lower screening rates. However, this was just an idea, and later research has not supported that concern.

Looking at the scientific evidence, the claim that HPV vaccines increase cervical cancer is not supported by data. Study after study after study shows that cervical cancer rates are much lower in people who received the HPV vaccine compared to those who did not. Some research also found that no cases of cervical cancer were seen in girls who were vaccinated at ages 12 to 13.

More than 50 randomized controlled studies have shown that the HPV vaccine is safe and effective. Many of these studies used placebo shots to carefully compare results.