Introduction:

Little is known about the presence of HPV in the oral mucosa in the healthy population and what risk factors can lead the virus to a persistent infection that leads to the development of a carcinoma.

Objectives:

In the present study, HPV detection was performed on DNA samples obtained from the oral mucosa of 76 healthy women, and the presence of the virus was associated with the sexual behavior of the participants.

Methods:

HPV was detected by the nested PCR technique for the viral gene L1. Genotyping was performed by direct sequencing of the L1 gene fragment amplified by the Sanger method, followed by an analysis of identity percentages.

Results:

The percentage of detection of HPV was 6.6 percent. The viral genotypes identified were HPV-11, HPV-43 and HPV-72, all classified as low oncological risk. In addition, it was observed that the lack of condom usage in this age group was significantly associated with the presence of HPV in the oral mucosa (p = 0.037).

Conclusion:

In the present exploratory research the detection of HPV in the oral mucosa of healthy women is evidenced, and its presence is associated with an active sexual life without adequate protection against its transmission.

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