Author(s)

Terán-Figueroa Yolanda, Canúas-Landero Víctor Gabriel, Ramírez-Flores Élfego, Hernández-Madrigal Mónica, Gallegos-García Verónica, Gutiérrez-Enríquez Sandra Olimpia

Faculty of Accounting and Administration, Autonomic University of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México.
Faculty of Chemistry, Autonomous University Meritorious of Puebla, Puebla de Zaragoza, México.
Nursing Faculty, Autonomic University of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México.

Objective: Identify the presence of some risk factors and co-factors for acquiring HPV (human papilloma virus) or cervical cancer in women from a rural area and an urban area. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in 2008 in the State of San Luis Potosí, México. Sampling of non-probabilistic convenience was applied. 99 women participated (73 from urban area and 26 rural). Two surveys were used to identify risk factors and socio-demographic data. All women underwent HPV testing; the samples were self-collected and processed by the Hybrid Capture II method?. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results: The predominant age range was 37 to 42 years. 38.5% is in a rural community and an urban 37.3%. 72.6% began their sexual life at 19 years or more in urban areas and 57.6% before 18 in rural areas. In relation to the number of sexual partners reported having had only one, 73.1% and 67.1% in rural and urban area respectively. Risk factors that were associated with HPV infection were the beginning of sexual activity at age 18 and under (p = 0.041) and the number of sexual partners (p = 0.001). Conclusions: There are more risk factors in women in urban areas but in rural areas it had the highest percentage of positive cases for infection by high-risk HPV.

Cervical Cancer; Risk Factors; HPV

Yolanda, T. , Gabriel, C. , Élfego, R. , Mónica, H. , Verónica, G. and Olimpia, G. (2014) Presence of Risk Factors and Co-Factors for Acquiring HPV Infection or Cervical Cancer in Women Living in a Rural Area and an Urban. Health, 6, 677-683. doi: 10.4236/health.2014.68088.