Relation of Age at Marriage and First Child Birth with High-Grade Pre-Invasive Cervical Lesions

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Early marriage, particularly beforeage 18 years, may increase the risk of developing cervical cancer, as the cervical cells in young individuals are stillimmature and not fully developed. Objective: The present study aims to analyze the relationship between the age atmarriage and first child birth with high-grade pre-invasive cervical lesions. Method: This study uses a cross-sectionalanalytical design with 88 respondents, conducted in the Department of Gynaecological Oncology at BSMMU,Dhaka, from January 2022 to December 2022. A total of 88 VIA/cytology or HPV DNA positive women referred tothe Colposcopy clinic for further evaluation were included. Final analysis of association was conducted among 56respondents. Results Out of 88 respondents, 46 (52.3%) of the women were aged between 30 and 40 years. A total of55 (64.8%) women were married before the age of 18, and 55 (62.5%) experienced their first childbirth before turning18. Regarding cervical health, 66 (75.0%) women tested positive for Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA), while10 (11.4%) were positive for HPV DNA. Additionally, 7 (8.0%) received Papanicolaou results classified as ASCUS,and 5 (5.7%) were categorized as HSIL. Among the 56 women who married before 18 years, 22 (56.4%) displayedhigh grades of cervical invasive lesions during colposcopy, along with 28 (62.2%) who gave birth to their first childbefore the age of 18, as confirmed by histopathological findings. Conclusion Further research should dive deeper intothe various factors that shape the relationship between the age at which people marry and when they have their firstchild, especially in relation to the occurrence of high-grade pre-invasive cervical lesions.