Incidence, duration, and reappearance of type-specific cervical human papillomavirus infections in young women

Abstract

Background: We describe the incidence and duration of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection episodes along with the risk of infection reappearance following a period of nondetection. Methods:Women (1,788) ages 16 to 23 years underwent cytologic testing and PCR-based testing of cervical swab samples for HPV DNA (HPV-16/18/31/33/35/45/52/58/59) at ∼6-month intervals for up to 4 years in the context of a phase 3 clinical trial (placebo arm). HPV type - specific incidence rates were estimated per 100 person-years. Duration of type-specific cervical infection episodes and risk of reappearance following a period of nondetection were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Results: HPV-16 exh..