Prevalence of Human Papilloma Virus infection Among Symptomatic Women with Positive Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA)

Abstract

Background: HPV causes cancer among millions annually; the majority are cervical cancer in females. HPV subtypes 16 and 18 are associated with a higher risk of cervical cancer. VIA screening leads to early detection and intervention.
Methodology: This hospital based cross-sectional study done among 190 symptomatic multiparous women aged 30 to 50 years visiting a Gynaecology OPD. After informed consent, semi-structured questionnaire was administered to collect sociodemographic and reproductive health data. Gynaecologist performed a visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), and positive were subjected for Real-time PCR detection of HPV subtypes.
Results: The age distribution was equal between 30-40 (48.9%) and 41-50 (51.1%), with a mean age of 40.73 ± 0.6 years. The mean age of menstruation was 13.96 ± 0.6. Vaginal discharge was the most common complaint (63.7%), and intermenstrual bleeding was less common (15%). The VIA positivity rate was 14.7% (28). The prevalence of the high-risk HPV subtypes 16, 18, and 12 was 1.6% (3), 1.1% (2), and 1.6% (3), respectively.
Conclusion: The married women aged 30 to 50 years had a moderate VIA positivity rate and low prevalence of high-risk HPV subtypes. This emphasizes on health education, better access to reproductive health care, and regular screenings.