DETERMINANTS FOR GENITAL HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) INFECTION IN 1000RANDOMLY CHOSEN YOUNG DANISH WOMEN WITH NORMAL PAP SMEAR - ARE THERE DIFFERENT RISK PROFILES FOR ONCOGENIC AND NONONCOGENIC HPV TYPES

Most studies of risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detect ion have focused on overall HPV positivity and have not examined deter minants for highrisk and low-risk HPV types separately, We studied ris k determinants for genital HPV infection in 1000 randomly chosen women (20-29 years) with normal cervical cytology from Copenhagen, Denmark, All women had a personal interview, a Pap smear, and cervical swabs f or HPV DNA detection using a PCR technique, On the basis of their asso ciation with cervical cancer, the HPV types were categorized as belong ing to a high-risk group (''oncogenic types'') or a low-risk group ('' nononcogenic types''), The overall HPV detection rate was 15.4%, Of HP V-positive women, 74% had oncogenic HPV types, and 30% had nononcogeni c HPV types, Younger age and lifetime measures of sexual activity (not ably, number of partners) were the main risk factors for the oncogenic HPV types. Furthermore, a previous Chlamydia infection was associated with the high-risk HPV types, In contrast, the most important determi nants for nononcogenic HPV infection were contraceptive variables rela ted to the physical protection of the cervix (condom or diaphragm) and number of partners in the last 4 or 12 months, Our study confirms the venereal nature of HPV infection, We hypothesize that the low-risk HP V infection, which correlates with recent sexual behavior, may be more transient than infection,vith the oncogenic HPV types, which correlat es with lifetime exposure measurements of sexual habits.