Associated risk factors and prevalence of human papillomavirus infection among females visiting tertiary care hospital: a cross-sectional study from Nepal.

Objectives: There is a greater risk of cervical neoplasia in women with ongoing cervical infections with high-risk human papillomaviruses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for human papillomavirus infection among females visiting tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over seven months with 376 study participants. Cervical swab samples were collected, and HPV types were detected using polymerase chain reaction. The associated risk factors for HPV infection were analyzed via binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The mean age of the female participants was 38.98 ± 8.74 years. The majority of the participants were females aged 30-39 years. The overall HPV prevalence was 15.7 % (59/376), 37 % of which were HPV-16 and 20 % of which were HPV-18. Logistic regression revealed that the likelihood of contracting HPV infection was greater among married females (AOR 4.576) and who did not used contraceptive (condoms) (AOR 1.559). Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the notable prevalence of high-risk HPV-16 and HPV-18 and emphasized the importance of public awareness regarding risk factors of HPV infection, along with a specific emphasis on vaccination, promoting testing and early detection methods to curb the progression of cervical cancer.