Epidemiological characteristics, genotype distribution, and viral load profiles of human papillomavirus infection among women in the Taihu region of Suzhou: a retrospective study

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection exhibits substantial regional heterogeneity; however, large-scale data regarding genotype distribution and viral load characteristics in the Taihu region of Suzhou, China remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, genotype spectrum, age-specific infection patterns, and viral load characteristics of HPV infection among women in this region from 2023 to 2025, thereby providing evidence for region-specific prevention and control strategies. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 23,196 women who underwent HPV testing in the Taihu region of Suzhou between January 2023 and December 2025. Cervical exfoliated cell samples were collected, and 21 HPV genotypes were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Among the 23,196 participants, 3,061 tested positive for HPV, yielding an overall infection rate of 13.20%, with no statistically significant difference across the three study years. The age-specific prevalence demonstrated a bimodal distribution, with the highest infection rate observed in women aged ≥ 60 years and the lowest in those aged 40–49 years. The five most prevalent HR-HPV genotypes were HPV52 (2.70%), HPV58 (1.72%), HPV16 (1.35%), HPV39 (1.11%), and HPV56 (0.96%), while HPV53 (1.78%) was the most common low-risk genotype. Women aged ≥ 60 years exhibited significantly higher proportions of high-risk mixed infections and multiple infections compared with other age groups. Viral load distribution varied across age groups, with high viral loads being most common in women aged < 30 years (24.29%) and low viral loads predominating in women aged ≥ 60 years (46.82%). The genotype spectrum identified in this study showed greater concordance with the genotypes targeted by the nonavalent vaccine than with those targeted by the bivalent or quadrivalent vaccines. HPV52, HPV58, and HPV16 were the predominant genotypes detected among women in the Taihu region of Suzhou. Older women had a higher prevalence of HPV positivity, mixed HR-/LR-HPV infection, and multiple-genotype infection, whereas the proportion of low viral load measurements increased with age. The predominant genotype spectrum showed substantial theoretical overlap with the genotypes targeted by the nonavalent vaccine.