HPV Prevalence During Menstrual Cycle
Author Information
Author(s): van Ham M A P C, Melchers W J G, Hanselaar A G J M, Bekkers R L M, Boonstra H, Massuger L F A G
Primary Institution: University Medical Centre Nijmegen
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of cervical HPV in different phases of a single menstrual cycle?
Conclusion
The study found that the cumulative prevalence of HPV in women with normal cervical cytology was 75% within one menstrual cycle.
Supporting Evidence
- The highest prevalence of HPV was found in the follicular phase at 55%.
- 15 out of 20 women tested positive for HPV at least once during the menstrual cycle.
- Single point measurements of HPV ranged from 20 to 55%.
- The cumulative prevalence of oncogenic HPV was 70%.
Takeaway
This study shows that many women can have HPV at different times during their menstrual cycle, and just testing once might miss it.
Methodology
Cervical samples were taken weekly from 20 women during their menstrual cycle to test for HPV.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the specific population of women with fertility issues.
Limitations
The study only included women with regular menstrual cycles and did not account for those with abnormal cervical cytology.
Participant Demographics
Women aged 22 to 43, mostly non-smokers, with a mean age of 33.8 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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