A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in Indigenous populations – A Global Picture

Abstract

Background and Aim Recent trends have shown a decline in the rates of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐associated cervical cancer in the vaccinated population but there has been a spike in the HPV‐associated oropharyngeal, anal and penile cancers in the majority of the unvaccinated population which are young and middle‐aged males. Indigenous populations at an international level carry a disproportionate burden of most diseases. The aim of this meta‐analysis was to ascertain the worldwide prevalence of HPV infection in Indigenous populations stratified by sex and site and to document the most commonly reported HPV types. Methods Published articles on HPV infection in Indigenous populations from PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception until 23 December 2019. Results A total of 41 studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled worldwide prevalence of HPV infection (for both oral and genital sites, both males and females) in Indigenous populations was 34.2% (95% CI: 28.9%–39.8%). Subgroup analysis (geographical) showed that the pooled prevalence for African Indigenous, American Indigenous and Asian‐Oceanic Indigenous populations were 33.0% (95% CI: 12.8%–57.1%), 33.0% (95% CI: 27.4%–38.9%) and 33.3% (95% CI: 0.17.5%–51.3%), respectively. Conclusion There are not enough data on the burden of the infection carried by males especially with respect to highly suspicious sites like oropharynx. Also, we conclude an overall high prevalence of HPV infection in the Indigenous populations and increasing their susceptibility to benign and malignant manifestations of HPV.

HPV vaccine: uptake and understanding among global Indigenous communities – a qualitative systematic review

“…The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has reported an increased burden of sexually transmitted diseases among Indigenous communities [24]. A higher pooled prevalence of HPV infection in Indigenous populations has been observed [25], compared to the pooled prevalence of general populations [11,13]. While HPV vaccine coverage has been reported as high, course completion is generally lower for Indigenous adolescents [26].…”

Reflections from field notes: An oral human papillomavirus infection and oropharyngeal cancer study among Indigenous Australians

“…That is where the educating of the HPV stuff got missed out….the mouth got missed out. 3.4.1 | Sub-theme: Importance of ACCHOs Being able to access local ACCHOs was crucially important to study participants, for services not always directly related to health. Ability (or not) to access ACCHOs directly impacted some participants' willingness to engage in HPV vaccinations and screenings.…”

“…Oropharyngeal cancer (throat cancer) has one of the most rapidly increasing incidences globally, surpassing cervical cancer as the most common HPV‐driven cancer 2 . There is a disproportionate burden of HPV‐associated cancers among Indigenous Australians, 3 but the reasons for this are largely unknown. Currently, interventions to screen for oral HPV infection and early‐stage throat cancer among Indigenous Australians are not usually undertaken within a framework of cultural safety and certainly not included in the current suite of management recommendations for Indigenous Australian health and well‐being.…”

Reproductive health needs of Human papillomavirus (HPV) positive women: A systematic review

“…), the most important cause is infection with high risk types of HPV [3]. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women, with 500,000 new cases reported each year [4]. Various and extensive studies have been conducted to investigate the prevalence of HPV infections in different countries as well as in Iran, which indicates its increasing prevalence in the world [5][6][7].…”