Cervical cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women in southern Vietnam where its incidence is one of the highest observed worldwide. Our results demonstrate that although cervical HPV infection is extremely common among FSW in southern Vietnam, prevalence varies by education level, sexual activity, habits of regular partners, and HIV status.
Cervical cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women in southern Vietnam where its incidence is one of the highest observed worldwide [ 1 , 2 ]. There is considerable variation in the incidence of cervical cancer within Vietnam with rates in southern regions age-standardized rate 26 per , four times higher than that observed in northern provinces 6.
These differences correspond to regional differences in the prevalence of HPV, the principal cause of cervical cancer [ 3 ], which is substantially higher in southern compared to northern Vietnam [ 4 ]. This cross-sectional study examined the genotype-specific prevalence of HPV infection among female sex workers FSW in southern Vietnamβa group presumably at particularly high risk for HPV and other sexually transmitted infections. Between April and August of , women were recruited. Of these women, interviews, physical exams, and cervical specimen collection were completed for Following chlamydia and gonorrhea testing on cervical DNA specimens, specimens remained and were sent to the HPV testing lab.
DNA was sufficient for of the specimens. Sexually transmitted infections other than HPV were evaluated in a recent report. Thirty-five different HPV genotypes were identified.
Oncogenic HPV 52 was the most common type observing comprising HPV 16, 58, 62, 51, and 18 were also among the most common types. Twenty-two percent of HPV-positive specimens were not positive for any of the 37 types covered in the assay.
