Sexually transmitted infections in European HIV-infected women: incidence in relation to time from infection. European Study on the Natural History of HIV Infection in Women.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in HIV-infected women in relation to time from infection and sexual behaviour.


METHODS
The European study on the natural history of HIV infection in women is a prospective cohort study of 487 HIV-infected women with a known interval of seroconversion from 12 European countries.


METHODS
Incidence was measured with person-time methods. Generalized estimating equations analysis was used to determine risk factors for STI.


RESULTS
At entry, 15% of the women were diagnosed with at least one acute STI (chlamydial infection, trichomoniasis or gonorrhoea), 10% with at least one other STI (genital warts or genital ulcerations) and 13% with vaginal candidiasis. Although frequently diagnosed during follow-up, the occurrence of acute STI and vaginal candidiasis decreased, whereas the occurrence of other STI increased with ongoing time from HIV infection. Furthermore, women with a history of prostitution [relative risk (RR), 2.00; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.20-3.33] and women with irregular condom use (RR, 7.74; 95% CI, 3.52-17.0) were at higher risk for an acute STI.


CONCLUSIONS
Although STI diagnoses were frequent, the occurrence of acute STI declined with time from infection which might be explained by changed sexual behaviour over time. The occurrence of other STI increased with time from HIV infection, presumably due to reactivation as a result of immunosuppression.
van Benthem
B H
BH
Municipal Health Service, Division of Public Health and Environment, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. bvbenthem@gggd.amsterdam.nl
Prins
M
M
Larsen
C
C
Delmas
M C
MC
Brunet
J B
JB
van den Hoek
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000453:epidemiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017280:Condoms; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011477:Sex Work; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology