Background: Population-based data on age- and type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence are pre-requisite to understanding differences in HPV epidemiology and the potential relevance of different cervical cancer prevention approaches around the globe.

Methods: IARC HPV Prevalence Surveys have been completed in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe, following a standardized protocol. Age-stratified representative samples of the general female population (approximately 1,000 women) are invited for a pelvic examination, including the collection of cervical exfoliated cells for cytology reading and HPV testing by GP5+/6+ PCR-based enzyme immunoassay. A standardized risk-factor questionnaire is administered.

Results: Data have now been published for 17 centres (Guinea, Nigeria, 3 sites in China, India, Korea, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands), showing that HPV prevalence varies greatly worldwide, from 1.4% in Spain to 50.8% in Guinea. Regional differences in age- and type-specific patterns of HPV prevalence have also been characterized. Five new HPV surveys have since been completed in the predominantly Muslim countries of Algeria, Pakistan and Iran, and also in Georgia and Vanuatu. An update of all progress and comparisons of worldwide results will be presented.

Conclusions: Standardized protocols for specimen collection and well-validated centralized HPV testing are key to elucidating worldwide heterogeneity in the epidemiology of HPV. Important questions on HPV natural history, however, will be addressed by follow-up investigations among the previously sampled populations in Africa and Asia.