The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Cervical High-Risk HPV Positivity in Women: A Single-Center Study

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary etiological agent of cervical cancer. Although obesity has been proposed as a factor influencing HPV acquisition and disease course through immune and metabolic mechanisms, its role remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and high-risk (HR)-HPV infection, including genotype distribution, infection type, and cytological findings. METHODS: ). HR-HPV genotypes were detected using a multiplex real-time PCR method, and cytological evaluation was performed according to the Bethesda Cervical Cytology Reporting System. RESULTS: > 0.05). HPV-68 was the most frequently detected genotype. CONCLUSIONS: BMI was not independently associated with HR-HPV infection or related clinical and cytological features. These findings suggest that HPV infection is primarily influenced by viral characteristics and host immune response, while BMI appears to play a limited role. Further multicenter prospective studies are needed to clarify the impact of obesity on HPV infection.