The prevalence of HPV and associated factors among young women less than 25 years in Rwanda a case study: Kigali City

Abstract

Background

Cervical cancer is the mainly frequent female cancer in Rwanda, the first country in African to introduce human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme in 2011.

Methods

To identify the prevalence and risk factors of HPV infection among young women in Rwanda, secondary data used from IARC survey database. Data selected were 1177 women aged less than 25 years from the general population in Kigali, period of 2013/14.Samples were tested for HPV by using GP5+/6+ PCR. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the prevalence of HPV for single or multiple types of HPV and risk factors.

Results analysis

HPV prevalence was 42.84%. 238 (20.3%) women had single-type and 256 (22.9%) had multiple-type infections. HPV16 was the most popular type in women with normal cytology with multiple (10.4%) and single (6.6 %) infection respectively. Several determinants were associated to HPV infection and increase such as having more than two partner, age >19, age at first sex intercourse, , HIV positive, Chlamydia negative, tobacco use and vaccination status (OR 1.48, 95% CI [1.13-1.93], OR 0.73[0.54-0.99], OR 2.34 95% CI [1.55-3.53], OR 0.46 95% CI [0.31-0.69], OR 0.41 95% CI [0.21-0.77], OR 2.86 95% CI [1.31-6.25], respectively, were significantly associated to HPV infection.

Conclusion The findings of this study confirm Rwanda to be a setting of high prevalence of HPV among women less than 25 years.

HPV HPV16, 52, 45, 35, 58 and 18 were the most common HR HPV infections in the population between 15 to 24 years. The risk associated to HPV infection were HIV, factors, age at first sex intercourse, chlamydia and tobacco use. This information will help for further studies and planning in country by using this data.