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. 2025 Jan 14;15(1):1.
doi: 10.1007/s44197-025-00340-x.

Study of the Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Mai M El-Daly  1   2 , Arwa A Faizo  3   4 , Shahad A Madkhali  3   4 , Nashwa F Aldardeir  5 , Nassrin A Badroon  3 , Norah A Uthman  3 , Rahaf T Alqawas  6 , Ahmed A Mousa  5 , Safaa A Turkistani  7 , Esam I Azhar  8   9
Affiliations

Study of the Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Mai M El-Daly et al. J Epidemiol Glob Health. .

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection, includes over 200 types, some linked to genital warts and various cancers, including cervical, anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers. In Saudi Arabia, an estimated 10.7 million women aged 15 years and older are at risk of HPV-related cervical cancer. This study assessed HPV prevalence, genotype distribution, awareness, and health behaviors among females in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Pap smear samples were collected from 106 women attending gynecology clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital and were analyzed using nested PCR and Sanger sequencing. Results showed a 15.1% HPV positivity rate, with genotypes of HPV 16, 6, and 58 identified. HPV 16 was the most prevalent (43.75%), particularly among women aged 35-44. In addition, over 60% of the participants were unaware of the link between HPV and cervical cancer, or the availability of vaccines, indicating significant knowledge gaps in the population. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive HPV surveillance and targeted public health interventions in Saudi Arabia. This study emphasizes the importance of HPV vaccination programs, increased screening, and educational campaigns to address the high prevalence of high-risk genotypes, particularly HPV 16. Tailored strategies are crucial to reducing HPV-related health risks, especially for high-risk age groups and under-informed populations. The data provide a foundation for improving HPV prevention and reducing the burden of related diseases in the Saudi population.

Keywords: Cervical cancer; Genotypes; Human papillomavirus; Prevalence; Saudi Arabia; Vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical Approval: The study protocol was approved by the Unit of Biomedical Ethics, Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University (Reference No 119 − 22). Informed Consent: Informed consent was obtained from all the subjects involved in the study. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
HPV genotype prevalence and distribution by age group. The prevalence of HPV was significantly greater among females aged 35–44 years, whereas women over 45 years presented a considerably lower prevalence (P = 0.006). HPV 16 was the predominant genotype in the 35–44 years age group
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Prevalence and distribution of HPV genotypes in Saudi and non-Saudi individuals. The prevalence of HPV was slightly greater among non-Saudi nationals (n = 10) than among Saudi nationals (n = 96). Compared with Saudi nationals, non-Saudi nationals presented a greater prevalence of the HR-HPV genotype 16
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Phylogenetic analysis of the inferred HPV genotypes via the neighbor-joining method. Our samples are coded by HPV followed by four-digit numbers. The red circle represents Genotype 16, the blue circle represents Genotype 6, and the green circle represents Genotype 58. The bootstrap consensus tree, derived from 1000 replicates, was constructed via the maximum composite likelihood method to compute evolutionary distances. All evolutionary analyses were performed via MEGA11
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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