HPV Prevalence in Pregnancy with Demographic and Socioeconomic Considerations

Background Women between the ages of 20 and 35 are at high risk of Human Papillomavirus infection. Based on a systematic review of the literature, it was found that the prevalence of HPV in pregnant women varied from 5.5 to 65% (Niyibizi in Syst Rev 6:1 1–11, 2017). HPV is highly prevalent because of the change in the hormonal milieu and decreasing immunity during pregnancy. As of now, few data are available from the Indian subcontinent, indicating a link between HPV infection and pregnancy. Aim The prevalence of vaginal/cervical HPV infection during the antenatal period or immidiate postnatal period was determined, using the present primary study and its association with demographic and socioeconomic considerations was studied. Material and Methods In the prospective cohort study, we recruited 100 obstetric patients for HPV screening after consent clearance. 16/100 patients were positive and the rest are negative. High vaginal swab or cervical swab samples were collected with the cotton stick or HC2 sampler. These samples were used for the detection of HPV DNA infection by using the hybrid capture technique. Result Our study found that 16.0% of our population had been infected with HPV. Among participants with HPV (positive/negative), BMI (0.048*), habitat (0.001*), nutritional value (0.001*), immune-compromised states (< 0.001) and their socioeconomic status have been found to be significant. But age, parity, gravidity and education are not significant. Conclusion HPV infection increased in pregnant women, and it is associated with their BMI, immune-compromised states, habitat, nutritional value and their socioeconomic status.