Ankara Medical Journal (Mar 2020)

Evaluation of HPV incidence and cervical smear results in Syrian refugees

  • Murat Alan,
  • Muhammet Ali Oruç,
  • Nisel Yılmaz,
  • Hakkı Aytaç,
  • Muzaffer Sancı,
  • Yasemin Alan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5505/amj.2020.52296
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of HPV and cervical pathologies in Syrian women admitted to the gynecology-oncology outpatient clinic. METHODS: 659 Syrian refugee patients admitted to the gynecology oncology outpatient clinic between January 2014 and September 2018 were included in the study. Pregnant women, women who underwent a hysterectomy, and those with a history of HPV vaccine were excluded from the study. Demographic data [age, socioeconomic status, educational status, smoking habits, parity, age of first intercourse, body mass index (BMI)] and clinical information (cervical smear, HPV genotype and cervical biopsy results) of the patients were evaluated. The statistical significance level was accepted as p <0.05. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 659 Syrian women who meet our study criteria admitted to our clinic. The mean age of Syrian patients included in the study was 25.13 +- 4.20 years, 23.60 % were married before the age of 18, and the educational status of 73.50% of patients were at high school and above. HPV DNA positivity was found in 5.30% (35/659) of the Syrian refugee women. In our study, HPV 16 was found in 22.80% (8/35); HPV 18 was positive in 17.60% (6/35); and other high-risk types were seen in 59.60% of patients. 97.60% of the patients (643/659) had normal smear results, while 1.40% (9/659) had ASCUS; 0.30% (2/659) had ASCH; 0.60% (4/659) had LSIL; and HSIL was present in 0.10% (1/659) of patients. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The rate of HPV in Syrian patients was similar to women in our country, and the most common (except HPV 16 and 18) are other types of high-risk HPV. Considering that the Syrian citizens will stay in our country for a longer period of time, more effective cervical cancer screening programs should be applied to the Syrian women who have already suffered from great difficulties and the information deficiencies about vaccination must be eliminated.

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