Introduction Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) are small virus non-enveloped double-stranded circular DNA responsible of genital warts papilloma, precancerous lesions and cancers (cervix, vulva). In Côte d’Ivoire and many lower middle and incomes countries cervical cancer screening program based on visual inspection methods become the gold standard because cytology has shown many limits. This study aims to detect HPV DNA on women attending for cervical cancer screening program based on visual inspection by acid acetic and lugol (IVA/IVL).

Methods From March to December 2015, endocervical secretions from women attending cervical screening by IVA were submitted to HPV determination with PCR. HPV DNA was amplified using PGMY09/11 primers which generated 450 base pairs at the L1 region. The samples harbouring HPV DNA were genotyped using the multiplex PCR with HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45 and 51 primers.

Results The medium age of population was 32 years old. On 388 women enrolled in a visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) program 5.8% were positif. HPV DNA was obtained in 9.02% of the population. A total of 31 (88.57%) specimens harbouring HPV DNA were genotypes using multiplex PCR versus 11.43%, which were not genotyped using HPV 16,18, 31, 33, 35, 45 and 51 by multiplex PCR. HPV genotyping gave 63 differents HPV with 28.57% who had a single infection while 71.43% have a multiple infection. HPV genotypes prevalence were the followed: HPV 16 (28.57%), HPV 18 (23.80%), HPV35 (19.04%), HPV 45 (19.04%), HPV 51 (3.17%) and HPV 33 (1.58%). By using PCR as gold standard VIA sensibility was 16.12% and the specificity 95.45%.

Conclusion HPV circulate in Cote d’Ivoire in women attending for cervical cancer screnning by visual inspection with acetic acid or lugol. Visual inspection with acetic acid or lugol seem to have a good specificity. HPV Genotypes 16 and 18 included in the vaccine available seem to be the most prevalent.