Trial Information

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.