Transmission Reduction and Prevention With HPV Vaccination (TRAP-HPV) Study

Summary

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a member of the Papillomaviridae family of DNA viruses that is capable of infecting humans. HPV infection can cause cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus in women or cancers of the anus and penis in men. Two prophylactic vaccines have been proven to be highly effective in preventing the acquisition of HPV infection and the genital precancerous lesions caused by it. However, we do not know yet if a previously infected individual, once vaccinated, would be less infective to her or his sexual partner. We plan to conduct a study, called Transmission Reduction And Prevention with HPV vaccination (TRAP-HPV) study to answer this question. It will include 500 sexually active couples\* (total of 1000 individuals) in university student health clinics in Montreal (age 18-45 years). It will be a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blinded intervention trial. Study participants will be followed up to 12 months. Behavioural and biological data will be collected at the time of study enrolment, then at months 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 post-enrolment. The results of this trial will be invaluable in informing policies regarding vaccination of women and men.

Timeline

Start

2014-01

Primary completion

2022-11-18

Completion

2022-11-18

Publications

• Bergman H, Henschke N, Arevalo-Rodriguez I, Buckley BS, Crosbie EJ, Davies JC, Dwan K, Golder SP, Loke YK, Probyn K, Petkovic J, Villanueva G, Morrison J. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for the prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases: a network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Nov 24;11(11):CD015364. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015364.pub2.
• MacCosham A, El-Zein M, Burchell AN, Tellier PP, Coutlee F, Franco EL; TRAP-HPV study group. Protection to Self and to One's Sexual Partner After Human Papillomavirus Vaccination: Preliminary Analysis From the Transmission Reduction And Prevention with HPV Vaccination Study. Sex Transm Dis. 2022 Jun 1;49(6):414-422. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001620. Epub 2022 Mar 2.
• MacCosham A, El-Zein M, Burchell AN, Tellier PP, Coutlee F, Franco EL. Transmission reduction and prevention with HPV vaccination (TRAP-HPV) study protocol: a randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of HPV vaccination in preventing transmission of HPV infection in heterosexual couples. BMJ Open. 2020 Aug 11;10(8):e039383. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039383.

Drugs

Indications