Determination of Human Papillomavirus prevalence in the female population from Zanjan, Iran

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancers and anogenital warts. Regional studies provide better insights to HPV prevalence and genotype trends in different populations.

This cross-sectional study was done in Zanjan City, Iran from May 2022 to May 2023 for determination of specific high-risk HPV and low-risk types applying PCR in Pap smear samples collected from women aged from 24 to 60 years old.

211 women were enrolled and the total HPV prevalence was 6.63% in this population. HPV16 and HPV11 accounted for 28.50% equally as the most prevalent genotypes in infected cases. Multiple HPV infections were seen 21.40% in whom HPV16 was dominant. There was a significant association between HPV positive status and cellular changes in Pap test and notably, of the cases with multiple HPV infections, HPV16 + 6 and HPV6 + 11 were detected in two cases with AS-CUS whereas HPV16 + 31 + 6 were detected in a case with HSIL.

HPV prevalence has been estimated 6.63% with HPV16 and HPV11 dominancy in the present study. However, there is a high prevalence of multiple HPV infections in certain individuals. Therefore, it seems rational to provide an integrated approach, including vaccination, education, and access to preventative healthcare services.