Incidence, clearance, and factors associated with anal human papilloma virus infection among men with HIV

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to estimate the incidence and persistence/clearance of anal human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and related factors among men with HIV in Taizhou, China. Design: A prospective cohort study. Methods: Men with HIV were recruited and followed up from 2016 to 2021. Questionnaire surveys were used to collect social–demographic and behavioral characteristics, and anal swabs were collected for HPV Genotyping. Results: A total of 675 men with HIV were recruited and followed up. After an average follow-up time of 1.75 years, HPV39 (3.8/100 person-years), HPV52 (3.6/100 person-years), HPV51 (3.1/100 person-years), HPV58 (2.5/100 person-years) and HPV16 (2.4 cases/100 person-years) in the high-risk types showed the highest incidence rate. In marriage with woman [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20–0.99] showed an inverse association with HPV incidence, while bisexuality or undetermined sexual orientation (aHR = 2.62, 95% CI 1.08–6.36) showed a positive association. For those infected at baseline, the top three high-risk HPV with the lowest clearance density were HPV52 (32.2/100 person-years), HPV58 (38.1/100 person-years), and HPV16 (43.5/100 person-years). Daily consumption of 1–28 g alcohol (aHR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.41–0.95) showed an inverse association with HPV clearance, while illicit drug use (aHR = 3.24, 95% CI 1.59–6.59) showed a positive association. Conclusion: Anal HPV infection and clearance were both active in men with HIV in China. Marriage status and sexuality were associated with the incidence of HPV infection, while substance use including alcohol and illicit drug were associated with HPV clearance. More studies are needed to explore the risk factors of HPV persistence.