Brown and colleagues hypothesized that relative to earlier research, the high cumulative prevalence of HPV infection in their study was primarily a result of the high number of swab specimens obtained from each study participant. Many infections were detectable for only a few weeks, and might have been missed had specimens been obtained at longer intervals of time. They also attributed the high prevalence to their use of an assay that detects more HPV types than some other assays do, and to the at-risk nature of this particular study population.

Distinguished by its long follow-up and frequent testing procedures, this study confirms previous findings that HPV infection is common in sexually active adolescent women. "We hope the results of our research increase our understanding of HPV infection in this population," said Dr. Brown, "and help others design effective interventions to prevent infection in adolescent women."

'"/>


15-Dec-2004