Background: Little is known about the prevalence and determinants of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women from West India, although incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer is high.
Methods: Cervical specimens were collected, and questionnaires on lifestyle and reproductive factors were administered to 27,192 ever-married women aged 30 to 59 years living in a rural area of Maharashtra State, India. HPV-DNA status for high-risk HPV types was assessed using the second-generation hybrid-capture II assay.
Results: The prevalence of HPV infection was 10.3% in this population of middle-aged women. High-risk HPV infection was associated with increasing age, low education level, manual work, early age at first sexual intercourse, and widowhood or separation.
Conclusion: Low socioeconomic status and vulnerable social groups such as widows and separated women are at a higher risk of HPV infection. This study demonstrates once again that HPV infection and subsequent cervical cancer are social diseases.