Burden of genital warts in Ecuador

an observational study in the practice of physicians

Authors

  • Hector Zambrano
  • María Veronica Petrozzi
  • Magdalena Sanchez Aguila
  • Homero Antonio Monsanto
  • Miguel Cashat
  • Alexandra Altland
  • Brianna Lindsay

Keywords:

Papillomavirus infections, condylomata acuminata, epidemiology

Abstract

Introduction: Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital warts. Although the epidemiology of cervical cancer and the distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes have been investigated in Ecuador, little is known about the occurrence of genital warts. Objective: To estimate the incidence and prevalence of genital warts among patients routinely presenting at the practice of physicians, describe the demographics of genital warts cases and highlight the physician specialties that treat genital warts, including patterns of consultation and referral in Ecuador. Methods: Participants were a convenience sample of physicians who treat and/or diagnose genital warts in their practices. Physicians completed a daily log, recording the demographics and diagnosis of genital warts in all patients aged 18 to 60 years seen over 10 days in their practices. Physicians then completed a survey recording their practice characteristics and referral patterns of genital warts. Results: A sample of 105 physicians of different specialties participated in the study. Among 12,133 patients, the prevalence of genital warts was 5.5%, and the incidence, 3.7%. Prevalence was 6.9% in men, peaking at 12.6% in those aged from 25 to 29 years old. Prevalence was 5.1% for females, peaking at 6.5% in those aged from 30 to 34 years old. Most women were seen in direct consultations (75%) rather than by referral ones (24%). Most physicians (72%) treated females with genital warts, except for primary care physicians, who referred most cases (88%). Conclusion: Cases of genital warts are frequently encountered by physicians in Ecuador and are typically treated by specialists rather than primary care physicians.

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Author Biographies

Hector Zambrano

International Centre of Reproductive Health, Ghent University – Gent, Belgium. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Hospital Luis Vernaza – Guayaquil, Ecuador.

María Veronica Petrozzi

Merck Sharp & Dohme Peru – Lima, Peru.

Magdalena Sanchez Aguila

Merck Sharp & Dohme Ecuador – Quito, Ecuador.

Homero Antonio Monsanto

Merck Sharp & Dohme (IA) LLC – Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Miguel Cashat

Merck Sharp & Dohme Mexico – Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico.

Alexandra Altland

Merck & Co., Inc. – Kenilworth (NJ), United States of America.

Brianna Lindsay

University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia (PA), United States of America.

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Published

2019-09-16

How to Cite

1.
Zambrano H, Petrozzi MV, Aguila MS, Monsanto HA, Cashat M, Altland A, et al. Burden of genital warts in Ecuador: an observational study in the practice of physicians. DST [Internet]. 2019 Sep. 16 [cited 2024 Dec. 10];31(3):79-86. Available from: https://bjstd.org/revista/article/view/857

Issue

Section

Original Article