title: Prevalence and risk factors of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in southern Chinese women - a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persistent high-risk type Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is recognized as a necessary cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to compare the HPV prevalence and risk factors between women residing in Hong Kong (HK) and Guangzhou (GZ) region of China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1,570 and 1,369 women were recruited from HK and GZ, respectively. The cytology samples were collected and tested for HPV infection. The overall and type-specific HPV prevalence and the potential risk factors for acquisition of HPV infection were studied. Women with normal cytology in the GZ cohort had significantly higher HPV prevalence (10%) than those in the HK cohort (6.2%, p<0.001). The patterns of the age-specific HPV prevalence were also different between the two cohorts. In the HK cohort, women at the age of 20-29 years old had the highest prevalence and a second peak was observed in the age of ≥ 60 years old. In the GZ cohort, the highest HPV prevalence was also observed in 20-29 years old but declined as the age increased and a second peak was not seen. HPV16 and HPV52 were the most common high-risk types found in the HK and GZ cohorts, respectively. Age was the most consistently observed independent risk factor for HPV infection in the HK, while the number of sexual partners had association in the GZ cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides the current status and the epidemiological characteristics of HPV prevalence in Southern Chinese women. The results strongly suggested that population education and the effective cervical cancer screening would be vital in the prevention of cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Stephanie Si
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kelvin Yuen Kwong
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Rebecca Ching Yu
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Karen Kar Loen
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Kar Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: May Hiu Mei
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.forename: Sue Seen Tsing
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Daniel Yee Tak
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: Annie Nga Yin
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Zhong Qiu
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hextan Yuen Sheung
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ngan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral