Prevalence of Lower Genital Tract Infections Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)--Seropositive and High-Risk HIV-Seronegative Women

Abstract

This study was undertaken to assess whether the prevalence of lower genital tract infections among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive women was higher than among high-risk HIV-seronegative women at their baseline visit for the HIV Epidemiology Research Study. Results were available for 851 HIV-seropositive and 434 HIV-seronegative women. Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection was more prevalent among HIV-seropositive women (64% vs. 28%). Bacterial vaginosis was common (35% vs. 33%), followed by trichomoniasis (12% vs. 10%), syphilis (8% vs. 6%), Chlamydia trachomatis infection (4% vs. 5%), candidal vaginitis (3% vs. 2%), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection (0.8% vs. 0.3%). Alcohol use (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1. 3-2.4) and smoking (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.5) were associated with bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5-3.4), trichomoniasis (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-4.7), and syphilis (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3-7.4) were found to be more prevalent among black women. Our study showed no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of lower genital tract infections except for HPV between HIV-infected and demographically and behaviorally similar HIV-uninfected high-risk women.