Intravaginal practices and genital human papillomavirus infection among female sex workers in Cambodia.

OBJECTIVES: Intravaginal practices (IVPs) include washing, wiping, or inserting something inside the vagina. This study investigates the associations between IVPs and genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 200 female sex workers aged 18 to 35 years in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. From August to September 2014. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, IVPs, and other behaviors were collected through face-to-face interviews. Self-collected cervicovaginal specimens were tested for 37 HPV genotypes. RESULTS: Multivariable Poisson regression models showed that a lower number of infecting HPV genotypes were associated with intravaginal washing in the past 3 months (incident rate ratios [IRR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46-0.94) and often performing intravaginal washing shortly after sex (IRR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81-0.99). Intravaginal washing before vaginal sex, intravaginal wiping, and intravaginal insertion were not associated with HPV infection. CONCLUSION: These findings challenge the existing view that all types of vaginal cleansing are harmful. Specifically, intravaginal washing shortly after sex (mainly with water) may help prevent HPV infection in female sex workers, who have several partners and thus frequently expose to sources of HPV infection with different genotypes.

Self-reported oral health, oral hygiene, and oral HPV infection in at-risk women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the relationships among self-reported oral health, oral hygiene practices, and oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. STUDY DESIGN: Convenience and referral sampling methods were used in a clinic-based setting to recruit 126 women aged 18-45 years between August and October 2013. Behavioral factors were self-reported. Oral-rinse samples were tested for HPV DNA of 2 low-risk and 13 high-risk genotypes. RESULTS: A higher unadjusted prevalence of oral HPV infection was associated with poorer self-rated overall oral health (P = .001), reported oral lesions or problems in the past year (P = .001), and reported a tooth loss not because of injury (P = .001). Higher unadjusted prevalence of oral HPV infection was also associated with two measures of oral hygiene: lower frequencies of toothbrushing per day (P = .047) and gargling without toothbrushing (P = .037). After adjusting for other factors in multivariable logistic regression models, poorer self-rated overall oral health remained statistically associated with oral HPV infection (P = .042); yet the frequency of tooth-brushing per day did not (P = .704). CONCLUSION: Results corroborate the association between self-reported poor oral health and oral HPV infection. The effect of oral hygiene on oral HPV infection remains inconclusive.