title: Sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behavior as risk factors for human papillomavirus infection in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and the sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behavior risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in a hospital-based cohort of women in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervical specimens and questionnaire data were collected from women attending clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Cervical specimens were examined for abnormal cytology using a standard Pap test and for the presence of HPV-DNA using PCR and reverse line blot hybridization tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 73% of the 400 women tested were Saudi nationals. Nearly 50% were under 40 years old (range 22-80 years, mean±standard deviation 41.20±10.43 years). Approximately 17% of the women were HPV-positive. The most commonly detected HPV types were HPV-18 (34%) and HPV-16 (19%), with multiple infections detected in 10% of positive specimens. Multivariate analyses revealed that smoking and multiple partners were significant risk factors for HPV infection (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of societal challenges and an unsubstantiated assumption of low HPV prevalence, few studies have examined sociodemographic characteristics or sexual behaviors associated with HPV in Saudi women. However, a high prevalence of HPV infection was found, with smoking and multiple partners as significant risk factors, in this hospital-based cohort of predominantly Saudi women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Alhamlan
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Khayat
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Center for Computational Epidemiology and Response Analysis (CeCERA), University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramisetty-Mikler
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Polyclinic, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Al-Muammar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tulbah
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Al-Badawi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Kurdi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Tulbah
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Polyclinic, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alkhenizan
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Polyclinic, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Polyclinic, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: ahdal@kfshrc.edu.sa.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Al-Ahdal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D052685:Alphapapillomavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epidemiology; HPV; Human papillomavirus; Saudi Arabia; Sociodemographic characteristics