ABSTRACT
High-risk oncogenic human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) are strongly associated with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. Relatively detailed data on prevalence of HR-HPV infections by age in France are available in several cytologically normal women populations but none on incidence. These latter data may be obtained according to the relationship between prevalence and incidence due to the spontaneous viral clearance over time. The study has shown that HR-HPV infections incidence changes slightly according to the selected hypotheses for the viral clearance and that a peak is reached at about 12% for the women aged 22. A relatively high incidence is observed at older age classes with about 4% at 60 years old. These results are close to that observed in other countries even if the incidence peak appears slightly lower and happens later. Nevertheless, the model did not include possible viral reactivation or reinfection that could modify the incidence curve angle. The incidence of the HR-HPV infections is essential to define vaccination strategies and to determine the women ages at which the vaccine could be optimally administered.
