EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION IN GREEK ASYMPTOMATIC WOMEN

In an attempt to estimate the prevalence of human papilloma virus (HPV ) positivity among asymptomatic, cytologically normal Greek women, and the possible associations between HPV infection and other demographic , sexual, behavioural and sociological parameters, we undertook an epi demiological study of 226 clinically normal women from an outpatient g ynaecological clinic in Northern Greece. The polymerase chain reaction was used for detection of HPV DNA and dot blot hybridization analysis for HPV typing (only for the high-risk types 16 and 18). Eighty-two o f the 226 women examined (36.3%) were positive for HPV DNA, 6.6% (15/2 26) were positive for HPV-16 DNA and only 1.3% (3/226) were positive f or HPV-18 DNA. From all epidemiological correlates, age and residence showed a negative correlation with risk of HPV infection, whereas use of contraceptive intrauterine device, class II or III result of the la st Papanicolaou cytological examination, history of painful inflammato ry disease of inner genitals and frequent washing of the genital area, particularly during the menstrual period, were positively correlated with increased risk of HPV infection. No association was found between HPV DNA positivity and other well-known risk factors for cervical can cer, confirming the observations of other authors that sexual behaviou r, a significant risk factor for cervical cancer, is not inevitably co rrelated with risk of HPV infection.