We determined the risk of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in 169 15- to 22-year-old sexually active Lithuanian women attending two outpatient clinics in Vilnius. The Digene(®) Hybrid Capture II DNA test was used to test for HR-HPV infection on material collected by cervical swabs. The findings were compared with the pattern of sexual behavior as given in questionnaire replies. The overall risk of HR-HPV was 23.1%, but 60.0% in adolescents ≤15 years old. Mean age at first intercourse was 17.1 years; 73.5% of women had only had one sexual partner and 24.5% more than one. The risk of HR-HPV was higher in women with more than one sexual partner, and related to being a smoker and to early age at the first intercourse. Our results confirm that smoking, early coitarche, multiple sexual partners and unprotected vaginal intercourse are related to the risk of HR-HPV infection in young women.

AbstractTo determine the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection before first vaginal intercourse and after initiation of sexual activity in 14-22 years old girls, to find which HPV types occur most commonly. During the gynecologic exam cervical swabs were collected. Specimens were tested using Hybrid Capture 2 DNA test. In positive samples digene HPV genotyping test was performed. Subjects included 264 women, of whom 169 (64.0%) reported previous sexual activity and 95 (36.0%) had not yet had vaginal intercourse. There were 43 cases (16.3%) of high risk HPV, with 39 cases in those reporting sexual activity and 4 in virgins. Single strain HPV infection was detected in 62.8%, two strains in 23.2%, and three strains in 14.0% of subjects. HPV-16 was the most common type (20.9%), next more prevalent types were 18, 56, 31, 33 and 59. HPV-16 or HPV-18 were detected in 39.5% of the subjects. Not a single case was identified containing both types. The prevalence of high-risk HPV is common in sexually active young Lithuanian women. HPV were found in a small percentage of girls who had never had vaginal intercourse. The prevalence of types 16 and 18 among Lithuanian women was higher than in international data.

No abstract