Introduction Although HPV infections can clear spontaneously, persistence of high-risk-HPV is a risk factor for cervical cancer among women and it is even higher in HIV-infected women. Our goal was to determine the prevalence rate of High-risk(HR) HPV and associated factors among HIV-infected women attending referral care centres for HIV/AIDS in different regions of Brazil.

Methods Cross-sectional study conducted among HIV-infected women attended at referral care centres for HIV/AIDS in nine states of Brazil. Women from 18 to 49 years that accept to participate and were not pregnant at the time of the approach were recruited for the study. The HPV screening was realised using qPCR in closed system, In vitro Diagnostic, COBAS-HPV Roche. The cytology results were available by the Bethesda System.

Results A total of 802 (89.1%) women participated. Median age was 39 (Inter quartile range (QR34-46)) years and median education was 9 (IQR6-11) years. The general prevalence of HR-HPV was 28.4% (228/802). The prevalence rate of HPV-16 was 8.1% (65/802), HPV 18 was 3.7% (30/802) and other types of HR-HPV were 23.6% (189/802). The factors associated with HR-HPV in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were: age ranging from 18 to 34 years [OR=1.43 (95%CI:1.18–1.75)], drug abuse [OR=1.61 (95%CI:1.10–2.42)] and abnormal cervical cytology [OR=1.56 (95%CI:1.34–1.81)].

Conclusion Results showed high prevalence of high-risk HPV infection in women living with HIV in Brazil. The infection was significantly associated with age less than 35 years old, illicit drug use and abnormal cervical cytology. HR-HPV test in HIV-seropositive women is a useful procedure to implement cervical cancer screening.

Support: Technical cooperation agreement, Brazilian Department of STI, AIDS and viral hepatitis, Ministry of Health and United Nations office for drugs and crime. Project BRA/K57, process #01/2013