Prevalence and Genotype Distribution of Human Papillomavirus in 23,495 Cases in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a widespread oncogenic virus that causes diseases from benign warts to life-threatening cervical, anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. In Southern China, while the epidemiology of HPV in females is established, data on males remain limited to high-risk populations. Our study analyzed the characteristics of HPV infection across genders in Guangzhou, aiming to inform targeted screening strategies and vaccine promotion efforts. Among 23,495 participants attending the Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University from 2020 to 2024, the overall HPV prevalence was 21.98%, with male patients (33.70%) showing significantly higher rate than female patients (25.54%) and physical examinees (13.06%) (p < 0.001). Gender-specific genotype patterns emerged: male patients showed the highest prevalence of HPV6 (7.95%), HPV11 (3.81%), HPV16 (3.70%), HPV52 (3.64%) and HPV51 (3.57%); among female patients were HPV52 (5.23%), HPV58 (2.96%), HPV16 (2.68%), HPV39 (2.08%), and HPV51 (2.03%); physical examinees were HPV52 (2.66%), HPV58 (1.21%), HPV39 (1.10%), HPV51 (1.03%) and HPV54 (0.94%). Male patients exhibited higher prevalence of HPV6, HPV11, and oncogenic HPV18, while female patients showed HPV52 predominance. Age-related trends differed: male patients showed a linear increase (peaking at ≥ 55 years, p = 0.134), while female patients and physical examinees displayed U-shaped curves (peaking at < 25 and ≥ 55 years, both p < 0.001). The single-HPV genotype infection of the population predominated over the double and multiple infection. Clinically, female inpatients had higher rates of HPV16 (4.18% versus 2.63%, p = 0.05) and HPV56 (2.09% vs. 1.42%, p = 0.043) than outpatients. These findings have important implications for regional HPV prevention strategies in Southern China.