Cited by 12Cervical Cancer and HPV ResearchReproductive System and PregnancyPreterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis

Human papilloma virus infection and miscarriage: is there an association?

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Basonidis, Alexandros, Liberis, Anastasios, Daniilidis, Angelos, Petousis, Stamatis, Dinas, Konstantinos·2020·Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abstract

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. HPV infection is more prevalent in pregnant than in age-matched non-pregnant women and its prevalence increases as pregnancy progresses. A number of reports evaluated the role of HPV infection in miscarriages. In the present review, we summarize the existing evidence regarding the association between HPV infection and miscarriage. It is still unclear whether HPV infection is associated with increased risk for miscarriage. Studies in the field yielded conflicting findings and their conclusions are limited by a small sample size and/or methodological limitations. On the other hand, preclinical data support a role of HPV infection in placental dysfunction. Given the high prevalence of HPV infection and the possibility that vaccination against HPV might protect against miscarriage, more studies are needed to elucidate whether this common infection is associated with increased risk for miscarriage.

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  • The association between HPV infection and spontaneous abortions has rarely been investigated, with existing studies limited by small sample sizes and showing conflicting results.

    “The association between HPV infection and spontaneous abortions has rarely been investigated in the literature to date, with existing studies being limited by small sample sizes and showing conflicting results [29, 30].”

    From Fertility and Miscarriage Incidence After Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Treatment by Thermal Ablation: A Cohort Study (2025) · cites this paper as [30]

    The Abstract reports conflicting findings and says the studies are limited by small sample sizes and/or methodological limitations. The section on studies evaluating HPV infection and miscarriage likewise says most studies were small. The paper does not establish the stronger claim that the association has rarely been investigated. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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Cited by

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Authors
Basonidis, A., Liberis, A., Daniilidis, A., Petousis, S., & Dinas, K.
Affiliations
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR)
Corresponding author
Liberis, Anastasios
Venue
Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-09
Volume
59
Issue
5
Pages
656-659
ISSN
1028-4559 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3084245845
Cited by
12
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2022: 3
FWCI
0.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Cervical Cancer and HPV Research
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Reproductive System and Pregnancy
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis
Keywords
human papillomavirus, miscarriage, pregnancy, placental insufficiency, HPV vaccination, reproductive tract infections
MeSH terms
Abortion, Spontaneous, Female, Humans, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious, Causality, Incidence, Case-Control Studies, Papillomaviridae, Papillomavirus Infections

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