Risk-Factors and Awareness of HPV in Turkish people with Anogenital Warts in Bagcilar district: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Anogenital warts (AGWs) are epithelial tumors which develop as a result of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. We aimed to assess the sociodemographic, sexual and other possible risk-factors, and awareness of the HPV infection among Turkish people with AGW in the Bagcilar district of Istanbul.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 273 patients (183 men, 90 women) with AGW between October 2014 - March 2015. The patients' sociodemographics were recorded along with their possible risk-factors and clinical findings. The patients' answers to questions regarding HPV/AGW were checked for awareness. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 15.0. The results were evaluated with P < 0.05 considered significant.

Results: The major parameters detected were 26-39 age-range (52.6%), self-employed (54.6%), primary school graduate (44,7%), low/middle income (91.2%), married (59.3%), heterosexual (98.9%), sexually active (93.8%), sex in previous 3 months (87,6%), multi-partners (53.5%), partners without AGW (60.8%), mixed location (32.2%), concomitant verruca on hands (26%), 3-6 month duration (38.8%), non-recurrent lesion (98.2%), tinea cruris [TC](25.3%) and smoking (54.2%). However, self-employed (70.5%), middle-income (47%), polygyny (71.6%), pubic-location (43.2%), long-duration (46.4%), concomitant TC (31.7%) diabetes mellitus (9.8%), and verruca on hands (33.3%) were mostly encountered in males, while housewife (57.7%), low-income (60%), monoandry (67.8%), perianal-location (48.9%), short-duration (58.9%), smoking (64.4%), concomitant candidiasis (15.6%) and  depression (31.1%) were mostly found in females. Awareness of HPV hearing, HPV-AGW and HPV-cancer relationships, transmission-routes, risk-factors (each at 5.5%), and prevention methods (2.2%) was very low.

Conclusions: AGWs are seen in sexually-active, less-educated, married heterosexuals in Bagcilar. Self-employed, middle-income, polygyny, pubic-location, long-duration, concomitant TC and diabetes mellitus, and verruca on hands are mostly seen in males, while housewife, low-income, monoandry, perianal-location, short-duration, smoking, candidiasis and depression are more common in females. Awareness is very low.