title: Risk-Factors and Awareness of HPV in Turkish people with Anogenital Warts in Bagcilar district: a Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anogenital warts (AGWs) are epithelial tumors which develop as a result of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. We aimed to assess the sociodemographic, sexual and other possible risk-factors, and awareness of the HPV infection among Turkish people with AGW in the Bagcilar district of Istanbul.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 273 patients (183 men, 90 women) with AGW between October 2014 - March 2015. The patients' sociodemographics were recorded along with their possible risk-factors and clinical findings. The patients' answers to questions regarding HPV/AGW were checked for awareness. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 15.0. The results were evaluated with P < 0.05 considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The major parameters detected were 26-39 age-range (52.6%), self-employed (54.6%), primary school graduate (44,7%), low/middle income (91.2%), married (59.3%), heterosexual (98.9%), sexually active (93.8%), sex in previous 3 months (87,6%), multi-partners (53.5%), partners without AGW (60.8%), mixed location (32.2%), concomitant verruca on hands (26%), 3-6 month duration (38.8%), non-recurrent lesion (98.2%), tinea cruris [TC](25.3%) and smoking (54.2%). However, self-employed (70.5%), middle-income (47%), polygyny (71.6%), pubic-location (43.2%), long-duration (46.4%), concomitant TC (31.7%) diabetes mellitus (9.8%), and verruca on hands (33.3%) were mostly encountered in males, while housewife (57.7%), low-income (60%), monoandry (67.8%), perianal-location (48.9%), short-duration (58.9%), smoking (64.4%), concomitant candidiasis (15.6%) and  depression (31.1%) were mostly found in females. Awareness of HPV hearing, HPV-AGW and HPV-cancer relationships, transmission-routes, risk-factors (each at 5.5%), and prevention methods (2.2%) was very low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AGWs are seen in sexually-active, less-educated, married heterosexuals in Bagcilar. Self-employed, middle-income, polygyny, pubic-location, long-duration, concomitant TC and diabetes mellitus, and verruca on hands are mostly seen in males, while housewife, low-income, monoandry, perianal-location, short-duration, smoking, candidiasis and depression are more common in females. Awareness is very low.
authors.affiliation: Bagcilar Research and Training Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Betul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tas
authors.affiliation: Bagcilar Research and Training Hospital, Department of Infectious diseases, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamuran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Turker
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elcin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey