Incidence, Persistence, and Determinants of Human Papillomavirus: A Prospective Cohort Study of HIV-Negative Nigerian Women

Abstract 63Background:Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Africa. Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HRHPV) infection is a necessary cause but little is known about the persistence and associated risk factors of HRHPV infection in African women. We undertook this work to determine risk factors and the incidence of HPV infection in Nigerian women.Methods:ACCME is a multicenter, prospective cohort study of host germline, cervical somatic and HRHPV genomics, epigenomics, and vaginal microenvironment and their association with HPV. From February 2014 to January 2016, 10,000 HIV-negative women were enrolled in the cohort and are being observed every 6 months. We used SPF25/LiPA10 to characterize HPV infection and defined persistent infection as two consecutive positive tests performed at least 12 months apart. Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between risk factors and persistent HPV.Results:The mean (± standard deviation) age of study participants at baseline...