The study titled “Condom use and the risk of genital human papillomavirus infection in young women”and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was designed and conducted by Rachel Winer, PhD, and her colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“This elegant study, which was designed specifically to answer this important question of HPV transmission, will give confidence to those who choose to be sexually active that it is important to use condoms consistently and correctly,” stated James R. Allen, MD, MPH, of the American Social Health Association. “Good evidence is available today that latex condoms are effective at reducing the risk of the most common sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and now HPV.”

The risk of HPV infection was more than 3 times higher among young women in the study whose partners used condoms only occasionally compared with those who used condoms 100 percent of the time during sexual intercourse. This study complements the work of previous researchers who demonstrated condom use is associated with reduced rates of diseases associated with HPV, such as cervical cancers.

“The American Social Health Association encourages abstinence from sexual intercourse as the most effective way to reduce the risk of all sexually transmitted infections,” emphasized Deborah Arrindell, Vice President for Health Policy. “But for young people who choose not to be abstinent, it is essential to understand the importance of using condoms with each episode of sexual intercourse and how to use them correctly.”

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration licensed Merck's Gardasil® vaccine, which is the first vaccine against the strains of HPV most likely to cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Despite anticipated widespread use of this vaccine in the future, it is still important for people who are sexually active to understand the importance of using condoms in reducing the risk of sexually transmitted infections.

The American Social Health Association (ASHA) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1914 to improve the health of individuals, families, and communities, with a focus on educating about and preventing sexually transmitted infections. ASHA's educational web sites include: www.ASHAstd.org , www.iwannaknow.org (teen site), and www.quierosaber.org (Spanish language teen site).