Introduction:

Persistent infection with high-risk Human Papilloma Virus is a necessary cause for the appearance of cervical cancer.

Objective:

Molecularly characterize circulating genotypes of Human Papilloma Virus in population of the north of Bucaramanga.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study in women aged from 35 to 65 years with risk ≥3 points for develop cervical cancer determined by a standardized survey. In a cervico-vaginal self-sampling probe a molecular test was performed by HPV Direct Flow CHIP technology.

Results:

810 women were interviewed, of these 435 (53.7%) performed self-sampling due to the risk calculated. The median age was 47.3 years (RIQ 41-53 years). Almost the entire population resides in poor conditions (stratum1 and 2) (98.8%) and most of them are from the Colombian subsidized social security system (87.2%). The prevalence was 10.6% (CI 95%: 7.8 - 13.8), for high risk genotypes it was 3.9% (CI 95%: 2.3 - 6.2), low risk of 3.5% (CI 95%: 1.4 - 5.6) and for indeterminate genotype of 1.9%. HPV-59 was the most common high-risk genotype and HPV-62/81 was a low-risk genotype. There was coinfection with high risk / low risk genotypes in five women and coinfection with two low risk genotypes in a woman.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of infection by Human Papilloma Virus in women living in vulnerable areas of Bucaramanga is lower than that reported in Bogotá and Cali (14.9% and 13%, respectively). No predominance of any particular high-risk genotype was found.