Comparison of PCR and hybrid capture methods for detection of human papillomavirus in injection drug-using women at high risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection

We compared Hybrid Capture, a new technique for detection of human papillomaviruses (HPV), with a PCR assay based on L1 consensus primers. By both methods, the HPV prevalence was higher in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women than in HIV-negative women. PCR had a higher sensitivity (0.89 versus 0.48) but lower specificity (0.43 versus 0.93) for detection of Pap smear abnormalities, compared to Hybrid Capture. The higher intensity of hybridization signal by PCR was related to higher estimates of viral load by Hybrid Capture.