DECLINING PREVALENCE OF CERVICOVAGINAL HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTIONWITH AGE IS INDEPENDENT OF OTHER RISK-FACTORS

Background and Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the female genital tract is the most common sexually transmitted disease, Although the prevalence of HPV in women without detectable cervical d isease has been shown to decline with increasing age, the relationship to sexual behavior has not been investigated. Goal: To identify risk factors for, and associated with the age-dependent decline in, genital HPV infection in women, Study Design: The prevalence of HPV was deter mined in a cohort of 439 sexually active inner-city women between the ages of 18 and 50 years recruited in Brooklyn, New York, Cervicovagina l cells were collected by lavage, and HPV was detected by low-stringen t Southern blot hybridization, Results: The prevalence of HPV infectio n ranged from 36% in women younger than 25 years of age to 2.8% in wom en 45 years or older, Logistic regression analysis identified an incre ased risk for cervical HPV infection to be independently associated wi th number of sex partners in the past year (odds ratio [OR], 1.04 per yearly increase in age; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 1.08), y ounger age (OR, 0.92 per year increase in age; 95% CI, 0.88 to 0.95), and not living with partner (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.40 to 4.22), Conclusi ons: The lower prevalence of HPV infection in older women compared to younger women was found to be independent of sexual behavior, These re sults suggest that a biologic effect, such as HPV immunity acquired ov er time and with multiple exposures, may mediate the inverse relations hip between age and HPV prevalence.