Genotypic distribution of penile and anal highrisk human papillomavirus among men who have sex with men in Rwanda

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence, genotype distribution, and risk factors associated with HR-Human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Rwanda. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 participants with a mean age of 27.2 years. Anal and penile swab samples were collected and genotyped to detect HPV infections and determine genotype diversity. Data Analysis was performed using STATA software. The overall prevalence of hr-HPV was 28.3% in anal samples and 39.2% in penile samples. Highrisk genotypes, particularly HPV-16, predominated in both sites, while multiple genotype coinfections were observed in a significant proportion of participants. HIV status was identified as a critical factor influencing hr-HPV infection patterns. HIV-positive participants exhibited significantly higher prevalence rates of penile hr-HPV infection and multiple genotype coinfections compared to HIV-negative individuals. Although no significant difference was observed between anal and penile hr-HPV prevalence, both sites were confirmed as important reservoirs for hr-HPV. Importantly, all detected genotypes were high-risk types, underscoring the oncogenic potential of circulating hr-HPV strains in this population