All analyses were adjusted by weighting for missing LA results and for differences in sample-submission by laboratories. Weights by age-structure and sexual history were applied to determine population-based prevalence estimates. This was necessary because the age-structure and sexual history of our study BMS-354825 solubility dmso group differed from that of the general population of
16–24 year old females [18]: our sample was all sexually active and was over-represented by 16–19 year olds and by women who had multiple sexual partners in the previous year, compared with that of the sexually active general population of 16–24 year old women. Confidence intervals
(95%) were calculated around prevalence estimates. Our study included three samples of the female population, each with different selection characteristics and different prevalence findings. These were: (1) 16–24 year old NCSP participants, (2) 13–15 year old NCSP participants, and (3) 16–24 year old POPI participants. Analyses were conducted and presented separately for these three groups. Group 1, NCSP participants aged 16–24 years, was the group of primary interest for baseline data as repeat surveys are planned to re-sample from this group in coming years. The other two groups add insights into infection Sirolimus Megestrol Acetate frequency at ages included in the catch-up immunisation
programme (group 2) and infection frequency by ethnic group and in London educational settings (group 3), thus giving a more comprehensive picture of HPV in young females in England. Logistic regression methods were used to explore associations between HPV infection and age, submitting laboratory, recruitment venue, ethnicity, sexual behaviour and chlamydia infection. Data analyses were conducted using Stata v11. The numbers of samples submitted, eligible for inclusion and tested are shown in Fig. 1. A total of 3829 samples were included in the analysis: 2369 from NCSP 16 to 24 year olds (group 1), 275 from 13 to 15 year old NCSP participants (group 2) and 1185 from 16 to 24 year old POPI participants (group 3). Characteristics of the three groups of our study population are compared in Table 1. More than 90% of NCSP participants and 65% of POPI participants were of white ethnicity: 84% of 15–24 year olds in England are of white ethnicity [19]. Data on sexual behaviour characteristics were available for around 80% of samples from NCSP participants and nearly all POPI participants (99.5%) (Table 1).