Prevalence and genotype distribution of high‐risk human papillomavirus in 34 420 cases in Yangzhou city, Jiangsu province, China

Abstract We aimed to study the infection status and distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) in Yangzhou City to provide precise guidance for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in this area. Reproductive tract secretions were collected from patients admitted at Subei People's Hospital over the past 3 years. Fifteen high‐risk HPV (HR‐HPV) genotypes were analyzed by fluorescent polymerase chain reaction. The positive rate of HR‐HPV in 34 420 subjects was 23.56%. There was no significant difference in the rate of overall infection between males and females (χ 2 = 0.04; p = 0.952 > 0.05). The five genotypes with high infection rates in the population were HPV52, HPV58, HPV16, HPV51, and HPV39. Single infection was found to be dominant, primarily with the HPV52 genotype. The infection rate was higher in patients less than 20 years old and more than 60 years old. Most patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasms 2/3 and cervical cancer were infected by HPV16, followed by those infected by HPV52 and HPV58. There was a significant difference in the infection rate of HPV16 among patients with different cervical lesions (χ 2 = 31.660; p < 0.01), and the infection rate of HPV16 was higher in patients with cervical cancer than in healthy individuals. Single infection was dominant among the study patients with HPV infection in Yangzhou city. There was no significant difference in infection rate and genotype distribution between males and females. The infection rate in young and old women was higher, and the rate increased with age (>20 years).