Epidemiological analysis of human papillomavirus infection in senior women: a hospital-based retrospective study

Abstract Background Cervical cancer (CxCa) is associated with the persistent infection of various high-risk types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Currently, the infection rate of HPV and the incidence of cervical lesions in senior women remain significant, becoming a new focus of public health and clinical medical research. Methods In this study, we focused on the population of senior women aged 60 years and older, enrolling a cohort of 2,566 participants from the Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital for an epidemiological analysis. We characterized the baseline demographics of the participants using descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. To assess differences in infection rates, we utilized chi-square (χ2) tests for larger sample sizes and Fisher’s exact tests for smaller groups. Furthermore, logistic regression was applied to investigate the relationships between various independent factors and the persistence of infection. Results Our research found a 37.6% (966/2,566) HPV infection rate among women aged 60 years and older, with 92.9% of cases attributed to High-Risk HPV(HR-HPV). There was a significant downward trend in HR-HPV positivity with age (p < 0.001). And a waning vulnerability to persistent HPV infection, suggesting reduced susceptibility to persistent infections in senior women, though this did not achieve statistical significance, indicating a need for further investigation. Patients with CxCa in this population, HPV-16 was the predominant genotype, followed by HPV-52. This pattern contrasted with that observed in women with Low-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (LSIL) or High-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (HSIL). Specifically, HPV-52, HPV-53, HPV-18, and HPV-45 infections were associated with a lower risk of HSIL relative to HPV-16. Moreover, HPV-58 and other genotypes were linked to a significantly lower CxCa risk, underscoring the genotype-specific dynamics in cervical cancer development. Furthermore, the study identified a significant prevalence of HPV-81 and other Low-Risk HPV(LR-HPV) types in CxCa and HSIL, suggesting a potential role in disease progression that requires further investigation. Conclusion Our findings align with prior studies, indicating a consistent relationship between age and HPV infection rates among senior women. We observed that the persistence of HPV, along with the incidence of HSIL and CxCa, was not significantly influenced by age. Furthermore, the duration of infection did not show a substantial correlation with the specific HPV genotype involved. Clinical trial number Not applicable.