Bone quality assessed using quantitative ultrasound at the distal radius does not differ in antiretroviral therapy-naïve HIV-positive and HIV-negative Rwandan women.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of fractures appears to be increased in HIV-infected individuals. METHODS: We assessed bone quality using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in HIV-infected and uninfected Rwandan women. A Sunlight Omnisense 7000 QUS was used to measure the speed of ultrasound (SOS) at the distal radius in 646 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve HIV-infected women and 211 HIV-uninfected women. The Z-scores for SOS were based on data for women of the same age from the manufacturer's reference material. RESULTS: The mean CD4 cell count was 285 (± 166) cells/µL in the HIV-positive women. SOS Z-scores adjusted and unadjusted for body mass index did not differ between the groups. SOS did not differ by CD4 count (< 200 vs. ≥ 200 cells/µL: 4016 (± 117) vs. 4028 (± 107) m/s, respectively; p=0.19. CONCLUSIONS: In HIV-positive ART-naïve Rwandan women with advanced HIV disease, bone quality at the distal radius was similar to that in HIV-negative controls.

Gender inequities in sexual risks among youth with HIV in Kigali, Rwanda.

Understanding the experiences of youth living with HIV (YLH) is necessary for implementing interventions that mitigate HIV transmission. We conducted a survey of sexual behaviours and sources of knowledge among 107 youths aged 16-24 attending two HIV clinics in Kigali, Rwanda. Respondents were 72% women and 28% men, with median age 18 years. Of those sexually active in the past six months, 56% reported inconsistent condom use; 53% of sexually active respondents reported having sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms in the past six months. The median age difference between respondent and first sex partner was nine years for women, and 0.5 years for men (P = 0.006). Women more frequently reported being forced to have sex (29% girls versus 6.5% boys, P = 0.011) and exchanging sex for money (66% girls versus. 17% boys, P = 0.033). Strengthening female YLH's financial and material resources may reduce the number of sexual partners, asymmetries within partnerships and risk of HIV transmission.