Risk factors for cervical infection with human papillomavirus (HPV)
were
assessed among 236
Italian women at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
(intravenous drug
users (IVDU) or sexual partners of males at risk for HIV infection). All
study participants
underwent a structured interview, determination of HIV serostatus and detection
of HPV
cervical infection by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall,
the cervical presence
of HPV DNA was ascertained in 86 of these 236 women (36·4%), while
squamous
intraepithelial lesions (SIL) were diagnosed in 57 (24·1%). HPV-infected
and non-infected
women did not differ in age, education and cigarette smoking. A statistically
significant trend
in the risk of HPV infection with increasing number of lifetime sexual
partners was noted
(P=0·01), but such trend was attenuated in multivariate
analysis (multiple logistic regression
(MLR) odds ratio (OR) for [ges ]20 partners vs 1=1·6,
95% confidence intervals (CI): 0·4–5·9).
A nearly threefold higher risk of HPV cervical infection emerged among
IVDU women
(MLR–OR: 2·7, 95% CI: 1·4–5·0), and
this difference was not influenced by HIV serostatus.
The prevalence of HIV infection was higher among HPV-positive than HPV-negative
women
(62·8% and 54·0%, respectively) (MLR–OR=1·9,
95% CI: 0·9–3·8), and the proportion of
women with less than 200 CD4+ cells/mm3 was slightly
and not significantly higher among
HPV-positive (47·1%) than negative women (37·2%).
Prevalence, genotype profile and risk factors for multiple human papillomavirus cervical infection in unimmunized female adolescents in Goiânia, Brazil: a community-based study
