Association of condom use, sexual behaviors, and sexually transmitted infections with the duration of genital human papillomavirus infection among adolescent women.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association of potentially modifiable factors such as condom use, sexual behaviors, and concurrent sexually transmitted infections with duration of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infections among adolescent women.


METHODS
Longitudinal observational study.


METHODS
Study conducted at 3 inner-city clinics in Indianapolis, Ind.


METHODS
Forty-nine HPV-positive adolescents were tested frequently for HPV infection and provided sexual behavior diaries. Main Exposures Condom use, sexual behaviors, number of partners, and concurrent infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Trichomonas vaginalis.


METHODS
Time from onset to clearance of type-specific HPV infections was analyzed with proportional hazard models. Adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) were used to assess the effects of risk factors on the duration of HPV infection. Because viral clearance is a preferred outcome, a variable with an AHR less than 1 was considered a risk factor (ie, associated with reduced chance of viral clearance and prolonged infection).


RESULTS
Prolonged HPV infection was associated with oncogenic HPV types (AHR, 0.58 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.39-0.84]) less than median level of condom use during an HPV infection (AHR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.33-0.84]) and coinfection with C trachomatis (AHR, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.31-0.89]) or T vaginalis (AHR, 0.32 [95% CI, 0.16-0.64]). Not having multiple sexual partners during an HPV infection was associated with early HPV clearance (AHR, 5.52 [95% CI, 3.28-9.30]).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support public health messages of reducing the number of sexual partners, promoting routine condom use, and frequent sexually transmitted infection screening that may be beneficial with HPV infections.
Shew
Marcia L
ML
Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 545 Barnhill Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
Fortenberry
J Dennis
JD
Tu
Wanzhu
W
Juliar
Beth E
BE
Batteiger
Byron E
BE
Qadadri
Brahim
B
Brown
Darron R
DR
D000293:Adolescent; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors