Study objective: To determine the prevalence of high- and intermediate-risk type human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical dysplasia in an urban Swiss adolescent population attending the local Adolescent Clinic, using a liquid-based Pap test combined with risk type HPV DNA testing. To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in the same study population.
Design: Observational study.
Setting: The Adolescent Clinic of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University Clinic, Geneva, Switzerland.
Participants: 134 women between 14 and 20 years of age were enrolled in the study.
Main outcome measures: A standardized patient file on demographic and sexual history information was compiled and completed by physical examination, including a Pap test with adjunct high- and intermediate-risk type HPV DNA detection.
Results: Of the 134 specimens analyzed for HPV, 115 patients were negative and 19 (14.2%) were positive for HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, or 68. A significant association between HPV infection and having had more than one lifetime sexual partner was found (P <.05). Six (31.6%) of the HPV-positive and three (2.6%) of the HPV-negative specimens had a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) by cytology. Abnormal Pap test was related to HPV infection (odds ratio, 46.2; 95% confidence interval, 7.4 to 287.4) and, inversely, to age at first sexual intercourse (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval,.97 to 1.0).
Conclusion: High- and intermediate-risk type HPV infection is a frequent finding in our study group and is linked to having had more than one lifetime sexual partner. No association was found between HPV infection and other potential risk factors such as patient's age, age at first intercourse, frequency of intercourse during the three months prior to the investigation, smoking habits, or alcohol consumption.