Trends in seroprevalence of human papillomavirus type 16 among pregnant women in Stockholm, Sweden, during 1969–1989

Abstract

To assess long-term trends in the prevalence of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, we performed a cross-sectional serosurvey of the seroprevalence of the major oncogenic HPV type, HPV16, among 3,512 pregnant women undergoing population-based serological screening at the first trimester of pregnancy in the same catchment area in Stockholm, Sweden, during 1969, 1983 or 1989. The overall HPV16 seroprevalence rates were 16% in 1969, 22% in 1983 and 21% in 1989. Seroprevalence was significantly increased, comparing both 1969 vs. 1983 (p = 0.0005) and 1969 vs. 1989 (p = 0.008). By comparison, the previously reported herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) seroprevalence in the same women increased from 17% in 1969 to 32% in 1983 and 33% in 1989, whereas the seroprevalence rates of HSV-1 were the same (69% in 1969, 63% in 1983 and 68% in 1989). Odds ratios for HPV 16-positive women to also be HSV-2-positive were 1.8 in 1969 (p < 0.005), 1.1 in 1983 (p = NS) and 1.0 in 1989. Our results suggest that both HSV-2 and HPV16 became more generally spread in the Swedish population between 1969 and 1983 but that the spread has been stable during the 1980s.