Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is recognized as the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Given the definitive role of this virus in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer, further studies are necessary to investigate its prevalence at the regional level. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of genital HPV in women referring to gynecological clinics in Kashan for Pap smear screening in 2017.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 292 women referring to specialized obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Kashan for Pap smear screening in 2017. After obtaining informed consent, endocervical and exocervical samples were collected using a spatula and cytobrush for HPV PCR testing. Subsequently, HPV genotypes were determined using the INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra II method.
Results: The study revealed that among all women referred for Pap smear screening, the HPV test was positive in 25% of cases. The prevalence of high-risk and low-risk genotypes was 41.1% and 58.9%, respectively. Among HPV-positive patients, type 51 was the most frequent (31.5%), followed by type 16 (27.4%).
Conclusion: The present study indicates a high prevalence of HPV among women in Kashan. Furthermore, given the significant prevalence of high-risk genotypes, immunization against HPV should be considered a priority in national vaccination programs.