HPV causes cervical cancer

50–80% of women acquire it; 90% clear it within two years. Vaccination plus screening every 1–2 years prevents almost all of it.

50–80% of women acquire HPV in their lifetime and 90% clear it within two years. The problem is the persistent minority, which progresses to cervical cancer over 5–10 years. In Japan around 10,000 women are diagnosed and 3,000 die each year — the second leading cause of cancer death in women aged 25–40.