Prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV infections among women in Loudi, China

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the primary cause of cervical cancer, and understanding the infection rates and genotype distribution characteristics of HPV in different regions is of great significance for cervical cancer prevention and control. This study aims to analyze the HPV infection rate and genotype distribution characteristics among women in Loudi City, providing a scientific basis for the development of targeted prevention and control measures. Methods Our study retrospectively analyzed the results of cervical HPV screening in 48,717 women in Loudi city. The cervicovaginal infection of 18 high-risk genotypes and 6 low-risk genotypes were analyzed by PCR and reverse dot hybridization techniques. Results The overall prevalence rate of HPV infection among 48,717 cases was 21.83%, and the prevalence rate in 2021 to 2024 were 23.01%,21.13%,21.36% and 21.58%, respectively. Single infection (74.82%) was the main HPV infection pattern, followed by double infection (17.91%) and multiple infection (7.27%).The top five genotypes in terms of prevalence of HR-HPV and LR-HPV were HPV-52 (5.58%), 53 (2.71%), 58(2.48%), 16 (2.44%), 51 (1.80%) for HR-HPV, and HPV-81 (2.46%), 42 (1.42%), 43 (1.14%), 6 (0.77%), 11(0.0.25%) for LR-HPV. The Prevalence of HPV52 decreased progressively from 6.10% in 2021 to 5.04% in 2024, However, an increase in the prevalence of HPV42 has been observed, increasing from 1.29% to 1.75% between 2021–2024. The prevalence of HPV showed a bimodal U-shaped curve with age; the first and second peak common occurred among females ≤ 24 years old (28.74%) and ≥ 55 years old (30.41%), respectively. The prevalence of women aged 25–34 years was the lowest, which was 18.40%. Among single and double HPV type infections, the infection rate was highest in the age group of ≥ 55 years, while among multiple infections, the highest infection rate was in the group ≤ 24 years old. From 2021 to 2024, the infection rate of women in the ≥ 55 age group had been increasing year by year over time. Conclusion This study revealed the HPV prevalence and genotype distribution among different populations in Loudi city, which may provide guidance for HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention strategies in the region.