Assessment of HPV infection among female university students in Honduras via Roche linear array

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV), and the association with possible risk factors, among female university students at university in Honduras.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, cervical samples from 400 women aged 18–35 years were tested using a Roche HPV linear array to differentiate 37 genotypes of HPV. Associations with risk factors were assessed.ResultsOf the 400 participants, 393 completed the study. HPV DNA was detected in 45% of these women, of whom 73% were infected with high-risk types of HPV and 46% had multiple infections. Overall, 36 HPV genotypes were identified, of which HPV types 16, 51, 84, 66, and 39 were the most common. There was a marked decrease in the prevalence of multiple and high-risk infections with age. The factors that were independently associated with risk of being infected were related to sexual behavior and smoking habits.ConclusionThe study showed that genital HPV infection is common among sexually active women at university in Honduras. In addition, the Roche linear array was shown to be a valuable tool for HPV genotyping, which will be useful for monitoring the future effectiveness of an HPV vaccine in the population.