Cervical Human Papillomavirus Prevalence in 5 Continents: Meta‐Analysis of 1 Million Women with Normal Cytological Findings

Abstract

Although the prevalence of HPV in women with normal cytological findings is high and variable across world regions, HPV types 16, 18, 31, 52, and 58 are consistently found among the 10 most common types in all of them. These results represent the most comprehensive assessment of HPV burden among women with normal cytological findings in the pre-HPV vaccination era worldwide.

Sociodemographic characteristics, sexual behaviour and knowledge about cervical cancer prevention as risk factors for high-risk human papillomavirus infection in Arkhangelsk, North-West Russia

“…Higher prevalence rates have been reported in the Caribbean (35.4%), sub-Saharan African (24%) and Eastern European (21%), while those reported for North America (4.7%) and Western Asia (1.7%) were lower compared to our estimate [5]. The estimates of HR-HPV prevalence vary between the regions, and this could in part be due to different ages of the study populations, use of different methods of HPV detection, different screening programme implemented or variation in study designs and exposure to HPV risk factors [32]. …”

“…The observed prevalence of HR-HPV infection in our study was 16.7%, which is higher than the worldwide prevalence of HPV infection in women without cervical abnormalities of 11–12% [5,32]. Higher prevalence rates have been reported in the Caribbean (35.4%), sub-Saharan African (24%) and Eastern European (21%), while those reported for North America (4.7%) and Western Asia (1.7%) were lower compared to our estimate [5].…”

Awareness of HPV infection and attitudes toward HPV vaccination among Latvian adolescents

“…The prevalence of HPV in Eastern Europe is estimated to be as high as 21.4%, compared with a global prevalence of 11.7% [6]. Data on HPV prevalence in Latvia are scarce; however, estimates published in 2007 showed an overall rate of 26.2% [7].…”

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: a Mozambique overview

“…The Pap test, which is usually reported following Bethesda System 2001 is the most important screening instrument that allowed a large decline in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in high-income countries [77]. However, it is estimated that about 10 % of women worldwide with normal cytological screening, tested positive for HPV at cervical level [10].…”

“…The risk factors that aid the establishment of this infection are sexual intercourse at a young age, multiple sexual partners, prolonged use of oral contraceptives, high degree of parity, lack of circumcision, smoking, immunosuppression, coinfection with HIV and other sexually transmitted agents, and of course, lack of condom use [63,60]. This infection has been largely investigated in women and it is estimated that about 10 % of women worldwide with normal cytological screening, tested positive for HPV at cervical level [10]. Moreover, oncogenic HPV type infection represents a wellknown cause of invasive cervical cancer, which is the third most common cancer among women worldwide [25].…”