A Systematic Review of the Incidence and Prevalence of Genital Warts
Keywords:
genital warts, HPV, incidence,, prevalence, sexually, transmitted infections, systematic reviewAbstract
Genital warts (condylomata acuminata), mainly associated with HPV types 6 and 11 infection,
continues to be one of the most prevalent Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) across the globe,
posing a major public health burden, including in India. The current systematic review compiles the
available literature on the epidemiology of genital warts' occurrence and prevalence, paying special
attention to India and other LMICs. An extensive literature search was conducted using MeSH terms,
focusing on the studies that had included human data on incidence or prevalence. The global
incidence rates of this disease were found to vary between 50 and 230 cases per 100,000 population,
depending on regional differences, sex, and research methodology; at the same time, prevalence
levels for India among STI clinic attendees were between 1.9 and 4.8%. Among the high-risk groups
identified were young adults aged 18-30 years, MSM, FSW, and those having HIV. Post-vaccination
studies from developed countries showed decreases in the occurrence of the condition ranging from
50 to 90%.
