Epidemiology of High-risk HPV Infection in Women Participating in a Pilot Screening Program Entitled START-HPV (STudy of Primary Screening in the ARdennes Department by Testing for HPV Infection)

Cervical cancer is due to a persistent infection with a group of viruses known as high-risk Human Papillomaviruses (hrHPV). Viral DNA can be easily detected in a cervical sample by a procedure called 'HPV testing', which can be used as a relevant screening test. A pilot screening program called START-HPV has been set up in the Ardennes, a French administrative area localized in the North of France, with HPV testing as a primary screening test.This observational study aimed to evaluate hrHPV genotypes repartition in the population who participate in the START-HPV screening program. This study will allow a better knowledge of hrHPV infection epidemiology in a screened population.