Friday, September 11, 2015

Genital HPV in Children & Adolescents: Does Sexual Activity Make a Difference?

To compare the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) genital infection among prepubertal children, sexually active and not sexually active adolescents and assess potential risk factors for transmission.

95 girls aged 2-21 years; 38 sexually active adolescents (group A), 28 not sexually active adolescents (group B) and 29 prepubertal children (group C).

Genital HPV was detected in 38.9% of all participants; 52.6% of group A, 25% of group B and 34.5% of group C (p=0.06). Multiple HPV infection was detected in 26.3%, 3.5% and 13.8% of groups A, B and C respectively. High risk genotypes were detected in 47.4%, 25% and 24.1% of groups A, B and C respectively. Main high-risk genotypes were HPV16(27%), HPV31(21%), HPV35(14%), HPV53(14%) and low-risk HPV6 (27%). Sexual activity was associated with increased risk for genital high-risk HPV infection (OR:3.41, 95%CI:1.19-9.78); specifically with HPV33 and HPV53. 40% of sexually active adolescents with normal cervical cytology were infected with high-risk HPV types. Family history of skin HPV was positively associated with genital HPV in the sexually active group (OR:2.01, 95%CI:1.17-3.46).

Timeline and target population for HPV vaccination may need to be reappraised, in view of significant nonsexual transmission of genital HPV so early in childhood.



  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
  • 2Department of Cytopathology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
  • 3Center for Adolescent Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
  • 4Center for Adolescent Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece. 

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