Detection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Other Sexually Transmitted Pathogens in Cervical and Self-Collected Specimens of Women Referred to Colposcopy

High-risk Human Papillomavirus (hrHPV) persistent infection is acknowledged as the primary cause of cervical cancer. Coinfection with other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be associated with a higher risk of cervical lesion progression. This study investigated the detection of hrHPV and 7 other STIs in matched clinician-collected cervical samples and self-taken vaginal and urine specimens of 345 asymptomatic women referred to colposcopy for abnormal cervical cytology. The association of sexually transmitted coinfections with cervical dysplasia was evaluated. Detection of hrHPV and 7 other sexually transmitted pathogens was carried out using Anyplex™II HR and Anyplex™II STI-7e, respectively. The positivity of hrHPV infections in cervical, vaginal and urine samples were respectively 67.0%, 71.3% and 68.1%, while STIs were detected in 47.9%, 57.9% and 56.4%. A good analytical agreement was observed between cervical and self-taken samples for hrHPV and STIs detection. STIs positivity rate was found to be higher in hrHPV-positive compared to hrHPV-negative women, but no association was found between STIs coinfections and the grade of cervical lesions. In conclusion, self-collected specimens proved to be a valid non-invasive alternative to cervical samples to detect hrHPV and STIs. Longitudinal studies are required to evaluate the role of STIs coinfections in lesions progression.