HPV-positive women living in isolated areas in Amazonas, Brazil: Clinical–epidemiological profile and cytological findings

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is associated with persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and it causes about 265,000 deaths per year worldwide, thus becoming an important public health problem. Objective: This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile, clinical history, and cytological findings of 55 women infected with HPV living in remote areas in Amazonas, Brazil. Method: The samples were obtained by self-collection using the Rovers® Evalyn® Brush for HPV detection through PCR. The cytological examination was performed by liquid-based cytology. Results: The mean age of participants was 35 years (SD=14). Most of the women presented low or no schooling (52.7%), lived in stable relationship with a partner (74.5%), and had three to five children (32.7%). Inconsistent use of condoms by most of the participants (“never” — 34.5% and “sometimes” — 41.8%) was observed. Cytopathological examinations showed that 14 (25.4%) women had cytological alterations: 7 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (50.0%), 5 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (35.7%), and 2 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (14.3%). Conclusion: As cervical lesions have been caused by persistent HPV infection over the years, CC Prevention Programs use effective strategies to follow up on HPV-positive women living in remote areas.