Type-Specific Human Papillomavirus Prevalence in Iranian Women with Normal Cervical Cytology: The Impact of Current HPV Vaccines

Abstract

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is currently not included in the national vaccination program in Iran. Regional data on the distribution of HPV types in women are important as they can predict the impact of currently available vaccines and help health policy makers to consider all the possibilities with regard to HPV vaccination. Methods: A total of 1,218 Iranian women with normal cervical cytology were included in this study. The presence of the HPV genome was investigated in all specimens by PCR assay, and all HPV-positive samples were genotyped. Results: Totally, HPV was detected in 88 samples (7.2%). According to different geographical regions, the HPV prevalence varied: the highest HPV prevalence was observed in the North (11.7%) and the lowest in the Center (4.5%) of Iran, and this difference reached a statistically significant level (p < 0.05). In this study, the most frequent HPV types were HPV 16, 18, 66, and 11, representing 63.8% of all HPV infections. Conclusion: Based on this study, it is estimated that HPV vaccines could have a great impact on the prevention of cervical cancer in Iran. This study highlights the necessity of introducing educational programs in high schools, robust screening programs, and vaccination in Iran.