Human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and genoprevalence in Jimma town of Southwest Ethiopia: a population-based study

Abstract

Background Cervical cancer is the second most common and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women in Ethiopia. Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is a necessary cause of cervical cancer; however, population-based data on HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in Ethiopia remain limited. This study aimed to determine HPV prevalence and genotype distribution among adolescents and young women in Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study from November 1 to December 31, 2022, among 1456 participants: adolescents aged 15–19 years ( n = 704) and young women aged 25–29 years ( n = 752). Sexually active participants were interviewed and provided self-collected vaginal samples. Following DNA extraction, HPV detection and genotyping were performed using the Allplex™ II HPV28 Detection Kit. Data were collected using REDCap and analyzed with Stata version 17. Results Of 1456 samples, 1452 were valid for analysis. Median ages were 19 and 27 years for adolescents and young women, respectively. Overall HPV prevalence was 670 (46.1%) (95% CI: 43.6–48.7), and HR-HPV prevalence was 458 (31.5%) (95% CI:29.1%–33.9%). The most common HR-HPV genotypes were HPV 59, 39, 52, 51, and 56, followed by HPV 16. Vaccine-type HPV prevalence was 130 (9.0%) for the quadrivalent vaccine and 275 (18.9%) for the nine-valent vaccine. Multiple HR-HPV infections were detected in 35.4% of participants. Conclusions HPV and HR-HPV infections are highly prevalent, with substantial multiple infections. These findings support strengthening HPV vaccination, introducing HPV-based screening, and longitudinal follow-up to inform cervical cancer prevention strategies in Ethiopia.