The Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in Women Living with HIV in Mukono General Hospital, Uganda

Abstract

Background and aims: High-risk oncogenic genotype human papillomavirus (HPV) infection induces cervical cancer (CaCx), a common cancer in women globally. Women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) have a greater risk of hr-HPV infection and perseverance, enhancing the risk of defects in the cells of the cervix and aggressive CaCx. However, its prevalence in WLHIV is not apparent. The main objective of this research was to explore the types and prevalence of HPV infection by genotyping HPV among a cohort of WLHIV attending an antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic in Mukono, Uganda. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among women aged 25 to 49 years attending an ART clinic in a public health facility in Mukono, Uganda. Systematic random sampling was used to select 342 WLHIV from a target population of 3000. Only participants who had an Xpert HPV test between July 2021 and December 2022 were selected and interviewed, and their responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Slightly more than half (56.7%) of the participants were under 35 years old, married (52.6%), and with a primary level of education (51.2%). The prevalence of hr-HPV was 39.8% (95% CI: 34.40-44.78). Of the total participants, 136 (39.8%) were high-risk HPV positive, with HPV 16, HPV18/45, and other hr-HPV types (31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68) being positive in 23 (6.7%), 21 (6.1%), and 110 (32.2%), respectively, while 17 (12.5%) had mixed hr-HPV infections. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of HPV infection among WLHIV, underscoring the need to frequently screen and diagnose CaCx pre-cancerous lesions for its effective prevention.