Abstract:
The Second Conference on HIV Infection in Women, held in Washington, D.C. on February 22 to 24, offered data addressing the manifestation of HIV infection and AIDS progression in women, including wasting syndrome, vertical transmission, pregnancy and CD4 count, genital tract infections, cervical disease, and HPV (Human Papillomavirus). Clinical data on HIV progression in women shows that women were one-third more likely than men to experience death as the first clinical event after study enrollment, but among those who survived, there was no difference in progression between men and women. It was reported that male and female hormones could create major gender differences in wasting syndrome. Two studies addressing different issues related to transmission of HIV infection from pregnant women to their infants indicate 1) plasma HIV-1 RNA level at delivery correlated strongly with vertical transmission, 2) AZT did not appear to have an effect on vertical transmission, and 3) viral RNA titers remained stable throughout pregnancy in women not taking antivirals or who remained on one antiviral treatment throughout. Other data presented show a relationship between HIV-positive pregnant women and vitamin A deficiencies; their newborns had a higher infant mortality rate. Pregnancy was found to not affect CD4 or CD8 counts. Candida vaginitis was significantly associated with HIV, but not bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea. Studies have shown that cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is more common in HIV-infected women. The conference presented studies that explored whether Pap or colposcopy-confirmed CIN was the best screening test.
Keywords: *Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia/COMPLICATIONS CD4 Lymphocyte Count Disease Progression Disease Transmission, Vertical Female Genital Diseases, Female/COMPLICATIONS Human *HIV Infections Infant, Newborn Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications, Infectious Sex Factors Weight Loss NEWSLETTER ARTICLE
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