[The burden of cervical cancer in patients with limited access to health services].

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is caused by high-risk HPV, a sexually transmitted virus. In Mexico, this disease represents a public health problem. San Luis Potosi is located within ten states with the highest rates in the country. Indigenous women of Mexico will likely to develop cervical cancer due to inequality in access to health services and their determinants. Epidemiological studies can be supported by investigations of diverse geographical nature to undertake the identification and analysis of spatial patterns of disease.

OBJECTIVE: To locate by geographical distribution of Huasteca Potosina women high-risk HPV positive to observe the burden of disease in patients with limited access to health services and propose specific primary prevention activities was made with a sample of 605 women. Cervico-vaginal specimens were taken. High-risk HPV infection was determined by hybrid capture. Age and date of the last Papanicolaou were obtained through a structured poll. It was use descriptive statistics and georeference was made in a map using the software ILWIS 3.3.

RESULTS: Countyes with the highest and lowest percentages of infection were found. The prevalence of infection with high-risk HPV was 9.9% and age groups with the highest percentages of infection were in 51-60 and 41-50 years. Most women had been made the Papanicolaou at time of the present study.

CONCLUSIONS: Georeferenceas like epidemiological tool for generating risk profiles allowed suggest strategies for improve prevention, early detection and control of the cervical cancer.