Detection of Human Papillomavirus in Cervical Samples from Women Attending Gynaecology Clinics in Ondo State

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent of virtually all cases of cervical cancer, which remains the second most common cancer among Nigerian women. This study detects the presence of HPV DNA and determines circulating genotypes in cervical samples from women attending gynaecology clinics in Ondo State, South West Nigeria. A laboratory-based cross-sectional study will recruit 280 women aged 25 to 60 years attending gynaecology outpatient services at the Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, and a state general hospital. Endocervical samples will be collected using Cervex-Brush and subjected to DNA extraction, followed by multiplex PCR and reverse line blot hybridisation to detect and genotype 37 HPV types. Demographic data, sexual history, parity, contraceptive use, and prior cervical screening will be recorded. Results will report overall HPV prevalence and the frequency of high-risk genotypes (HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-31, HPV-33) relative to other genotypes. HPV prevalence among Nigerian women has been reported at 25 to 40 percent, though genotype data from Ondo State are largely absent from recent literature. Findings will provide state-specific genotype profiles to guide the selection of appropriate HPV vaccines for inclusion in the national school-based vaccination programme and inform cervical cancer screening protocols in Ondo State. Keywords: HPV, cervical cancer, genotyping, Ondo State, PCR