HPV infection, risk factors and viral load among Mexican male college students.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of HPV and the risky sexual behaviors associated to it in a sample of male college students, taking into account genotype and viral load.


METHODS
From 2002 to 2003, male students from the Autonomous University of Morelos State completed a questionnaire and provided self-collected genital samples to detect and quantify HPV. We performed a bivariate and a multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify correlates associated with the infection and to assess the viral load as a function of the viral infecting type. The fragments of β-globin gene and L1 of HPV, were amplified, purified and cloned, to evaluate viral load.


RESULTS
Among 253 subjects, HPV prevalence was 19.4%, and HPV16 was the most common subtype. History of STIs (OR=4.8; 95% CI 1.2-18.9), contraceptive pill use by female partner (OR=2.6; 95% CI 1.1-6.3) and exchanging sex for money (OR=4.9; 95% CI 1.2-20) were associated to the HPV infection. HPV16 viral load was 7.8 copies (HPV/beta-globin) compared to 0.9 copies for other HPV types.


CONCLUSIONS
HPV16 displayed the highest viral load, and it was the most prevalent. It was found that using contraceptive pills by female partners was associated with HPV infection.
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Carmina
C
Vera-Uehara
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Miguel Angel
MA
Sánchez-Alemán
Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico.
Felipe Javier
FJ
Uribe-Salas
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
José
J
Ramos-Castañeda
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Ma Leónidez
ML
Olamendi-Portugal
Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: cjconde@insp.mx.
Carlos Jesús
CJ
Conde-Glez
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
Contraceptive pills; HPV; Male; Risky sexual behaviors; Students; Viral load