HPV Prevalence in pregnant women

Abstract

Background: Human Papilloma virus (HPV) is very common virus in the global population. It is mainly transmitted through sexual contact and can also be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth. There are more than 100 different types of HPV, and most infected individuals do not present symptoms. However, some types of HPV can cause genital warts, while others can lead to change in cervical cells, increasing the risk of cervical cancer development. The best way to prevent HPV infection is through vaccination, along with use of condoms during secual intercourse. It Is essential for women to undergo regular screenings such as Pap test and colposcopy, as they help in the early detection of any cellular changes in the cervix and receiving appropriate treatment if necessary.. Material and methods: This is a retrospective observational study conducted by analyzing the medical records of pregnant women who gave birth in the year 2017 at The Ana Goitia maternal and Child Specialized Hospital. Results: From this research work, we arrived at the result that 24,2%(n=78) of pregnant women underwent the papanicolaou test. Amog them, 71%(n=55) tested negative, 27%(n=21) were classified as PAP class 2 and 2%(n=2) positive for HPV. Conclusion: After analyzing de medical records of the mentioned hospital, it was evident that very few individuals had undergone the papanicolaou test. As consequence, a low number of pregnant women were found to have any abnormalities in the test o tested positive for HPV. This made in challenging to determine the prevalence of this disease In the study population