HPV Infections in Older Women

Whether older women are susceptible to acquiring new, persistent high-risk (HR) HPV infections from new sex partners is largely unknown. This is a longitudinal study of predictors of HR HPV infections in two populations of women aged 25 to 44 and 45 to 65 who have used internet dating websites in the past year. 300 women will be recruited and mailed kits for self-collecting vaginal specimens for HPV DNA testing. Women will self-collect four sets of vaginal specimens four months apart, and complete sexual behavior questionnaires at the time of each self-collection. We will identify behavioral and health predictors of type-specific HR HPV infections, predictors of repeatedly-detected HR HPV infections, and evaluate study participants' experiences with self-collecting vaginal specimens and attitudes towards HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. This information is important for developing guidelines for HPV vaccine implementation and cervical cancer screening guidelines in populations of older women.