Association of infections with human immunodeficiency virus and human papillomavirus in Honduras.

ABSTRACT

PIP: Numerous studies have revealed a higher prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV)--etiologically linked to the development of cervical cancer--in women infected with HIV. This study investigated the association of HPV and HIV among 51 prostitutes in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. 23 were HIV-positive. All participants were in their early thirties, had had at least one pregnancy, and experienced their first pregnancy at a mean age of 16 years. Polymerase chain reaction identified HPV DNA in cervical scrapes from 13 (56.5%) HIV-positive women compared with only 5 (18%) HIV-negative prostitutes (odds ratio, 6.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-26.7). In addition, there was a significant association between HIV and a history of other sexually transmitted diseases (p 0.01). Since the progression to invasive cervical disease is more aggressive in HIV-infected women, prostitutes and other women at risk of both these infections should receive frequent cytologic screening and counseling.