title: High prevalence of HPV among female students in Finland.
abstract: We studied the prevalence of HPV DNA among university students within the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland. First-y students attending a general health examination as well as students visiting a general practitioner for contraception were enrolled. Vaginal self-samples or cervicovaginal swabs were collected from a total of 1469 students. HPV DNA was determined using a liquid hybridization test. Of all students 33.0% were positive for HPV DNA. Of all positive samples 84.3% were positive for high-risk HPV. The study demonstrated a strikingly high HPV DNA prevalence among the young women. Self-collected samples proved to be acceptable for HPV DNA detection using liquid hybridization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, HUSLAB Clinical Microbiology and Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. eeva.auvinen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Eeva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Auvinen
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niemi
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malm
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zilliacus
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trontti
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fingerroos
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.forename: Bjorma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paavonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D013334:Students; D014626:Vaginal Smears
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral