Rates and predictors of genital warts burden in the Czech population

OBJECTIVE: To describe the burden and the predictors of genital warts (GWs) in Czech men and women. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted of 32 974 randomly selected health clinic attendees from all 14 regions of the Czech Republic. Information on GWs and lifestyle behaviour was collected using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Results revealed a 5.8% prevalence rate of self-reported GWs in the Czech population aged 16-55 years. There was an increase in the incidence of GWs in the years 2010-2013 when compared to lifetime incidence rates, from 205.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) 191.0-219.7) to 441.8 (95% CI 393.1-490.6) per 100 000 person-years. No significant differences were observed between genders. The strongest risk factors found for GWs were an infected sexual partner (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 114.3, 95% CI 78.9-165.4) and a high number of lifetime sexual partners (adjusted OR 3.36, 95% CI 2.72-4.17 for >14 partners vs. one partner). A novel finding was that 22.7% (95% CI 20.9-24.6%) of participants claimed that the pathology had disappeared spontaneously without medical assistance. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide baseline information for the development and monitoring of prevention strategies against GWs in the Czech Republic.