Prevalence and determinants of genital infection with papillomavirus, in female and male university students in Busan, South Korea.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in young adults in Asia.


METHODS
We invited female and male students in Busan, South Korea, to participate in a survey that included, for females, self-collection of vaginal cells and, for males, physician-performed collection of exfoliated genital cells. The prevalences of 25 HPV types were evaluated, by a polymerase chain reaction-based assay, in 672 female students (median age, 19 years) and in 381 male students (median age, 22 years).


RESULTS
HPV DNA was detected more frequently in female students (15.2%) than in male students (8.7%); in both sexes, high-risk HPV types were predominant. Among sexually active students, HPV prevalence was 38.8% in females and 10.6% in males. In female students, currently smoking cigarettes and having multiple lifetime sex partners were the strongest risk factors for HPV infection; in male students, associations between HPV prevalence and sexual habits were similar to those in female students but never attained statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Young women in South Korea start having penetrative sexual intercourse relatively late (median age, 18 years), but, once they begin, HPV prevalence quickly rises to levels comparable with those found in university students in the United States and in northern Europe. The high rate of participation in our study suggests that trials of new vaccines against HPV may be feasible among university students in South Korea.
Shin
Hai-Rim
HR
Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. hrshin@ncc.re.kr
Franceschi
Silvia
S
Vaccarella
Salvatore
S
Roh
Ju-Won
JW
Ju
Young-Hee
YH
Oh
Jin-Kyoung
JK
Kong
Hyun-Joo
HJ
Rha
Seo-Hee
SH
Jung
Se-Il
SI
Kim
Jung-Il
JI
Jung
Kap-Yeol
KY
van Doorn
Leen-Jan
LJ
Quint
Wim
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000821:virology*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D010413:Penis / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities