ABSTRACT
Urogenital mycoplasma (UGM) infections have often been reported in HIV patients. Little is known about UGM colonization and infection. We assessed the level of UGM colonization and infection in a cohort of HIV-positive women living in Bangui, Central African Republic. We studied 146 women of child-bearing age, some of whom were pregnant. All were HIV-positive but asymptomatic and attended one of the urban health centers and the National Center for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Bangui in April or May 1995. Colonization was defined as an endocervical mycoplasma concentration of less than 10(4) color change units per milliliter (CCU/ml) and infection was defined as an endocervical mycoplasma concentration of at least 10(4) CCU/ml. 58 of the 146 HIV-positive women were pregnant (group A). Group B comprised the other 88 women who were not pregnant. The mean age of the women in group A was 22.7 years (range: 15 to 41) and that for the women in group B was 25.8 years (range: 17 to 40). 134 of the 146 women were carrying one or both of the two types of UGM. There were 53 (91.4%) cases in group A and 81 (92%) in group B. Overall, 40% of the women were colonized and 51.4% were infected. UGM infections frequently affect HIV-positive pregnant women in Bangui. Our results suggest that women should be screened for UGM as well as for other sexually transmitted diseases, to improve the care of HIV-infected women attending antenatal clinics in developing countries.
