High Burden of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection among Young Women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Objectives

HPV infection causes cervical cancer, yet information on prevalence and risk factors for HPV in Africa remain sparse. This study describes the prevalence of HPV genotypes and risk factors associated with HPV among young women ≤ 30 years of age in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa.

Methods

Cervicovaginal lavage samples were tested for HPV genotypes in 224 women enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Clinical, behavioural and demographic data were collected. We measured prevalence of HPV genotypes and using logistic regression, examined for factors associated with HPV.

Results

Median age of participants was 21 years [interquartile range (IQR):18–23]. The overall prevalence of HPV was 76.3% (171/224) with multiple and single genotypes prevalent in 56.3% and 20.1% of women respectively. Proportion of women with high-risk genotypes (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56 and 58) was 54.5%. Women not living with their partner [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)] = 3.42 95% CI1.22–9.60; p = 0.019), was significantly associated with HPV infection and high-risk HPV genotype infection.

Conclusion

The high burden of HPV and associated risk behaviours highlight the need to intensify behavioural interventions to prevent HPV acquisition in young women. The large scale delivery of HPV vaccine should be prioritised to prevent HPV acquisition and reduce HPV-related morbidity.

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/6UTV10

By:  Sumayyah Ebrahim,#1,* Xolani K. Mndende,#2 Ayesha B. M. Kharsany,3,‡ Zizipho Z. A. Mbulawa,2,4 Vivek Naranbhai,3,5 Janet Frohlich,3 Lise Werner,3,‡ Natasha Samsunder,3 Quarraisha Abdool Karim,3,6 and Anna-Lise Williamson2,7

Craig Meyers, Editor

¹Department of Surgery, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

²Division of Medical Virology and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

³Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

⁴Center for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Disease, National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa

⁵Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

⁶Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, United States of America

⁷National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa

Penn State University School of Medicine, UNITED STATES

^#Contributed equally.

PLoS One. 2016; 11(1): e0146603. Published online 2016 Jan 19. doi:  10.1371/journal.pone.0146603

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