Human Papillomaviruses and Cervical Neoplasia in

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs), particularly types 16, 18, and 33, have recently been suggested as etiological agents for cervical neoplasia. However, few studies have explored this relationship among low-income, minority women. This case-control study of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), detected by Pap smear screening among South Carolina women, investigates the association between HPV positivity and the cytological continuum of CIN. Cervical spatulas and cytobrushes used to collect Pap smears from all women attending health department family planning clinics in three coastal South Carolina counties were saved for subsequent HPV detection and typing. Among this cohort of approximately 6000 cervical sample