DETERMINANTS OF GENITAL HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION IN LOW-INCOME WOMEN IN WASHINGTON, DC

Objectives: To confirm the risk factors for genital human papillomavir us (HPV) infection. Goal of this Study: To investigate risk factors fo r HPV detection independent of the correlated risk factors for cervica l neoplasia, in a high-risk population. Study Design: We investigated 404 cytologically normal women attending medical assistance clinics in the Washington, D.C. area. Risk factor information was obtained and a cervicovaginal lavage was collected and used for HPV detection and ty ping by a PCR-based technique. Results. The point prevalence of HPV wa s 33.7%. This contrasts with the 17.7% and 44.3% observed in the compa nion reports published in this issue of the journal.1,2 HPV prevalence decreased with age and increased with greater numbers of sexual partn ers. Moreover, more recent sexual behavior was a better predictor of c urrent HPV detection than lifetime number of sexual partners. Numbers of pregnancies and current pregnancy were positively associated with H PV prevalence and there was an indication that current oral contracept ive users had a higher prevalence of HPV compared to never users. Smok ing was not associated with increased HPV prevalence. Conclusion: Find ings support the sexual route of transmission of HPV and confirm the a ssociation of HPV detection with age, suggesting the host's ability to clear infection or the virus' ability to become latent.