Molecular epidemiology of human papillomavirus genotypes among HIV-negative women and women living with HIV with cervical cancer in two regions in Nigeria.

This article focuses on the prevalence and distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes among Nigerian women with cervical cancer (CC), comparing women living with HIV (WLWH) and HIV-negative women using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Among 189 women studied, HR-HPV prevalence was higher in WLWH (77.6%) than in HIV-negative women (60.0%), with HPV16 and HPV18 being the most common genotypes detected. The study identified HPV35 as a notable non-vaccine HR-HPV type prevalent in this population, which is not covered by the currently used quadrivalent Gardasil-4 vaccine in Nigeria. Findings suggest that broader vaccine coverage, such as the nonavalent vaccine, may better address the spectrum of HR-HPV types circulating in Nigeria, highlighting the need for expanded vaccination strategies regardless of HIV status.