HPV and Cancer in Ibero-America: What the Evidence Says About Spain and Latin America

Human papillomavirus (HPV) does not recognize borders, but access to its prevention and diagnosis does. This review compares what scientific evidence shows in Spain, the rest of Europe, and Latin America —three realities connected by language and, in many cases, by migration, but with very different health gaps between them.

The finding that changes the question

A case-control study conducted in Spain and Colombia found something worth highlighting: HPV prevalence was nearly identical between both countries —42.6% in Spain and 41.7% in Colombia. This challenges a common assumption: it is not that Latin American women have greater biological exposure to the virus. The real difference lies elsewhere.

Two different kinds of gap, not just one

Reviewing the evidence from both regions reveals a clear pattern: the nature of the access gap differs between Spain/Europe and Latin America.

In Spain and several European countries, screening systems generally exist and work well for the general population —Spain's cervical cancer incidence is among the lowest in the world (5.7 to 7.4 cases per 100,000 women). The gap appears in specific subgroups: migrants, those with short residence time, or those unfamiliar with the healthcare system. In several countries, such as France, even undocumented people have formal, free coverage for screening —the problem is not purely economic; it's about information, language, and trust in the system.

In Latin America, the gap is more structural: a shortage of trained laboratory staff, insufficient follow-up of positive results, and fragmented health systems in several countries. The result is a cervical cancer mortality rate nearly three times higher than in North America, with more than 80% of the Americas' cervical cancer burden concentrated in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Self-collection: a solution already crossing borders

The same technological innovation —allowing patients to collect their own sample without a traditional gynecological exam— is advancing in parallel across very different contexts: the United States (with FDA approval for at-home use), Spain (already integrated into the official screening protocol in Extremadura), and Bolivia (where a peri-urban pilot reached in just three months the coverage that normally takes a year).

Latin American women in Spain: what the evidence still doesn't resolve

It's important to be honest about the limits of available knowledge here: studies don't agree with each other. A national survey found that Central and South American women in Spain had a screening probability similar to Spanish women. A later study found that Latin American women participated even less than African women. This isn't a contradiction to be artificially resolved —it reflects that the picture likely varies by autonomous community, study period, and local factors not yet fully understood.

A note on our role

This article is an informational review based on published scientific literature; it does not replace the judgment of a healthcare professional or the screening recommendations of each country's health system. If you have questions about your own risk or screening history, consult your treating physician or your country of residence's healthcare system.

Sources consulted: MEDIFAM (2001); Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica; Gaceta Sanitaria (2020); PLOS ONE (2021); Revista Española de Salud Pública; PMC3724344; PMC5660604; PMC6337790; Extremadura Cervical Cancer Screening Program (2023); FDA/Waters Corp announcements (2026).

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