Vaginal delivery and low immunity are strongly associated with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in a high-risk population.

OBJECTIVE

To test the association between high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), including CIN 2 and CIN 3, and the main risk factors established in the literature, such as age, early onset of sexual activity, use of hormonal contraception, smoking, sexually transmitted diseases, immunosuppression, the number of deliveries, and abortions.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using medical records of 531 women examined for a period of 2 years in a referral center in southern Brazil.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed the following risk factors for high-grade CIN: smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 1.92, with 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13-3.27), immunosuppression (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.61-7.43), abortion (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.07-4.35) and 2 or more abdominal deliveries (OR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.90-6.27).

CONCLUSIONS

Cervical cancer screening should give special attention to the women with the above profile of risk factors by shortening the time interval between the screens.