Simon Beddows

INTRODUCTION Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, accounting for 660 000 new cases and 350 000 deaths in 2022 [1]. Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) is well recognized as the aetiologic agent in the development of cervical cancer, most frequently from HPV types 16 and 18 [2]. Women living with HIV have a six-fold higher risk of cervical cancer compared with those without HIV, although there are few data on mode of acquisition [3].

1 INTRODUCTION Successful phase III trials resulted in the licensure of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in 2006/7,1, 2 but the definition of protective HPV antibody level(s) is pending.

Abstract Previously established World Health Organization (WHO) International Standards (IS) for anti-HPV16 and HPV18 antibodies are used to harmonize results across human papillomavirus (HPV) serology assays. Here, we present an international collaborative study to establish ISs for antibodies against HPV6 (NIBSC code 19/298), HPV11 (20/174), HPV31 (20/176), HPV33 (19/290), HPV45 (20/178), HPV52 (19/296) and HPV58 (19/300).