Abstract
BACKGROUND: High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is a well-established cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of HR-HPV genotypes and the infection patterns in the southern Chinese population to provide data to support effective strategies for HPV screening, prevention, and vaccination. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of HPV genotyping results collected between January 2020 and December 2024. The study examined the distribution of HPV genotypes, the prevalence of single versus multiple infections, and the viral clearance patterns among affected individuals. RESULTS: A total of 196,103 samples were included in the analysis. The HR-HPV positivity rate was 16.91% and remained consistent over the five years. While a decrease in the positivity rate was observed for HPV-16 and HPV-18, no significant changes were observed for other genotypes. The most commonly detected HR-HPV genotypes were HPV-52, HPV-53, and HPV-58. Among all positive cases, 82.08% were single genotype infections, and 17.92% were multi-genotype infections. The most common co-infection combination was HPV-52 and HPV-53. The median time to viral clearance was 13.45 months. In particular, HPV-16/18 infections cleared more quickly than other genotypes. In contrast, multiple infections took longer to clear and were often resolved by elimination of multiple genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: HR-HPV infections in southern China have unique regional characteristics. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of HPV epidemiology in the region and may help guide future efforts in HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention.