Epidemiological, clinical and viral determinants of the increased prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in elderly women.

Abstract

These data suggest that in women who fail to eradicate their HR-HPV infection until menopause, selection of integrated viral clone has taken place, driving the process towards progressing disease. Consequent to this, most of the HR-HPV infections in women > 55 years were associated with high-grade CIN or invasive carcinoma.