Journal Article

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection and associated factors among women attending cervical cancer screening in setting of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hajare, Sunil Tulshiram, Hemba, Yadesa, Prajapati, Krushna Kant, Mandefro, Belayihun, Tesfaye, Elsa, Kumbi, Birhanu, Upadhye, Vijay, Singh, Suresh Chandra

2024

Overview

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are circular, nonenveloped small double-stranded DNA viruses that infect stratified epithelium and can cause a number of life-threatening diseases. HPV is the central risk factor for developing cervical cancer and is estimated that approximately 98% of this disease is associated with oncogenic types of HPV. HPV infection leads to an estimated 266,000 cervical cancer deaths annually. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and risk factors associated with cervical lesion among women attending the cervical cancer screening clinic at the Ethiopian Family Guidance Association, Addis Ababa. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of HPV infection. Data were collected using a questionnaire and samples leftover from cervical screening were taken. The leftover swab was air dried and DNA was extracted and amplified by using a PCR. A total of 247 women were included in the study. The prevalence of HPV was 9.72% among the population studied. Of all participants, 27.13% were positive for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-1 (CIN1). CIN1 positivity was found in half of HPV positive women. Among HPV positive women, half of them had started sexual intercourse at ages 12–17 years and 41.66% were women who gave birth at ages 12–17 years. The high prevalence of HPV and the CIN1 positive group were ages 36–57 and women with multiple sexual partners. The other groups with the highest CIN1 positive were 22.39% grade (9–12) and 20.9% primary (1–8) and uneducated women. Among HPV positive women, 83.33% had an abortion history and 80% miscarried in the first trimester. Among the CIN1 positives, 53.73% had more than two sexual partners. Among HPV positive women, half of them were users of contraception methods. In conclusion, the highest prevalence of HPV is among women who began sexual intercourse earlier and who gave birth at 12–17 years of age, have an abortion history, with MSP and oral contraceptive methods users. In addition to HPV, early pregnancy and sexual intercourse at 12–17 years of age, abortion, MSP, and oral hormonal contraceptives are factors in cervical cancer. Finally, most women do not have enough knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer and the risk factor.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 631/67 / 692/4028 / 692/499 / 692/700 / Abortion / Cancer screening / Cervical cancer / CIN / Contraception / Contraceptives / Contraceptives, Oral - adverse effects / Cross-Sectional Studies / Deoxyribonucleic acid / DNA / DNA viruses / Early Detection of Cancer / Epithelium / Ethiopia - epidemiology / Female / HPV / Human papillomavirus / Humanities and Social Sciences / Humans / Infections / Medical screening / multidisciplinary / Oral contraceptives / Papillomaviridae - genetics / Papillomavirus Infections - complications / Papillomavirus Infections - diagnosis / Papillomavirus Infections - epidemiology / PCR / Population studies / Prevalence / Risk Factors / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Sexual behavior / Sexual intercourse / Sexual partners / Uterine Cervical Dysplasia - pathology / Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - diagnosis / Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - epidemiology / Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - pathology / Women / Womens health