High-risk HPV infections in 18- 24-year-old women who date on-line

描述(由调查人员提供)：HPV感染率在20岁出头的妇女中最高，并随着年龄的增长而下降。虽然青少年和年轻女性感染HPV的许多风险因素(包括新的性伴侣的报告)都是明确的，但尚不清楚通过互联网约会或社交网站寻求性伴侣是否与HPV感染风险增加有关。在我们正在进行的关于网上约会的25-65岁女性中高危(HR HPV)感染的纵向研究中，在网上认识最近的伴侣(而不是通过其他方式)与HR HPV感染的风险增加相关，但对年轻异性恋女性的研究一直不明确。了解HPV感染的特定人群风险因素对于制定准确的公共卫生信息和HPV预防战略至关重要。为了研究18-24岁在线交友人群中HR HPV感染的危险因素，我们提议对200名在过去一年中使用过在线交友网站的美国女性进行一项纵向研究。将通过互联网招募女性。在为期一年的时间里，女性将被要求邮寄四组自采集的阴道样本进行HPV DNA检测(在0、4、8和12个月时)，并完成关于她们的健康和性行为(在0、4、8和12个月时)以及对自采集阴道样本的态度的问卷(在参与研究结束时)。阴道样本将使用基于聚合酶链式反应的检测方法进行特定类型的HPV DNA检测。该研究方案将与我们正在进行的对25-65岁女性的HR HPV感染的研究相同，因此也将使我们能够直接比较25-65岁女性(其HPV感染率高于文献报道的感染率)和18-24岁女性的HR HPV感染的患病率和发病率。其具体目的是1)确定18-24岁网上约会女性HR HPV感染的危险因素；2)比较18-24岁女性HR HPV的患病率和发病率与以前招募并遵循相同方案的老年女性(25-44岁和45-65岁)HR HPV的患病率和发病率；以及3)评估研究参与者自我采集阴道样本的经验和对自行采集阴道样本进行HPV和其他STI检测的诊断试剂盒的普遍兴趣。 公共卫生相关性：相关性：这项对18-24岁在网上约会的女性进行的HR HPV研究结果将为特定人群的公共卫生信息和HPV预防战略提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): HPV prevalence is highest among women in their early twenties and decreases with age. While many risk factors for HPV infections in adolescent and young women are well-defined (including reports of new sex partners), it is unclear whether seeking sex partners via Internet dating or social networking websites is associated with increased risk of HPV infection. In our ongoing longitudinal study of high-risk (HR HPV) infections in 25-65 year old women who date online, having met recent partners online (versus via other means) was associated with an increased risk of HR HPV infection, but studies of younger heterosexual women have been equivocal. Understanding population-specific risk factors for HPV infection are critical to developing accurate public health messages and HPV prevention strategies. To examine risk factors for HR HPV infections in 18-24 year old online daters, we propose a longitudinal study of 200 women in the United States who have used online dating websites in the past year. Women will be recruited through the Internet. For one year, women will be asked to mail in four sets of self-collected vaginal specimens for HPV DNA testing (at 0, 4, 8, and 12 months), and to complete questionnaires on their health and sexual behavior (at 0, 4, 8, and 12 months) and attitudes towards self-collecting vaginal samples (at the end of study participation). Vaginal samples will be tested for type-specific HPV DNA using a PCR-based assay. The study protocol will be identical to our ongoing study of HR HPV infections in 25-65 year old women, and will thus also allow us to directly compare prevalence and incidence of HR HPV infections in 25-65 year old women (whose rates of HPV infection are higher than those reported in the literature) to 18-24 year old women. The specific aims of are to 1) identify risk factors for HR HPV infections in 18-24 year old women who date online; 2) compare the prevalence and incidence of HR HPV in 18-24 year old women to the prevalence and incidence of HR HPV in older (25-44 year old and 45-65 year old) women previously recruited and followed with an identical protocol; and 3) evaluate study participants' experiences with self-collecting vaginal samples and general interest in diagnostic kits for self-collecting vaginal samples for HPV and other STI testing. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Relevance: Findings from this study of HR HPV in 18-24 year old women who date online will inform population-specific public health messages and HPV prevention strategies.