Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in Arica and Antofagasta, in the north of Chile

Background

Cervical cancer is primarily caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Despite all the advances in early detection of HPV infection, cervical cancer remains one of the most common types of cancer in women, with a high presence in Latin America. We previously reported on the prevalence of HPV in the Coquimbo region, so the objective of this study was to determine the frequency of HPV in women in the Antofagasta and Arica regions of northern Chile.

Methods

We analyzed 823 cervical samples from women aged 15–79 who attended gynecological checkups during 2024 to detect HPV genotypes using qPCR. Of these, 199 come from Arica and 624 from Antofagasta, in northern Chile.

Results

The overall HPV positivity rate was 19.20 %; 23.62 % in Arica and 17.79 % in Antofagasta. The HR-HPV positivity rates in the G1 (15–29 years) and G2 (30–79 years) age groups were 30.92 % and 16.54 %, respectively. The most prevalent genotypes of HPV infection among our entire population were HPV16, HPV 31, and HPV52. Single infection (75.95 %) was the main HPV infection pattern observed in the entire group, followed by double or multiple infection (24.05 %), which was similar in Groups 1 and 2, where the prevalence of single infection was 72.34 % and 77.48 %, respectively.

Conclusion

The prevalence of HPV infections in women in the Arica and Antofagasta regions appears lower than that previously reported for Coquimbo, but similar to that reported in Chile by the Ministry of Health. This reflects the great heterogeneity of HPV prevalence in our vast country. On the other hand, molecular detection of 14 HR-HPV genotypes is important because it will not only help women avoid cervical cancer, but could also inform the introduction of new vaccines targeting a broader spectrum of HR-HPV.