Maternal Cervical sample
Maternal cervical samples were obtained from pregnant women on their first ANC visit, when they were recruited and their epidemiological data were obtained (10). The cervical samples were obtained using a cytopathological brush for sampling of the cervix. The samples were inoculated into TE solution (Tris HCl, pH 7.5 – 10 mM; EDTA, 1 mM), and stored at -20°C, until the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for CT were extracted.