The HPV vaccine effectively prevents precancerous cervical lesions and doesn’t increase the risk of serious side effects, found an international evidence roundup by Cochrane Review scientists. The common sexually transmitted infection often clears away on its own, but can also cause cervical lesions that make HPV a leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Potentially quelling fears about its safety, the vaccine was deemed particularly effective for women vaccinated between ages 15-26, reducing the risk of developing precancer among young women who tested negative for HPV. It was slightly less effective when looking at women broadly, disregarding whether they had been infected with HPV.