IN-VIVO SEMEN-ASSOCIATED NEUTRALIZATION O F CERVICOVAGINAL ACIDITY

Cervicovaginal secretions (CVS) from 46 heterosexual African women, at tending the National Reference Center for Sexually Transmitted Disease s and AIDS of Bangui, Central African Republic, were investigated, at inclusion and after vaginal douching with water in order i) to determi ne the relationship between cervicovaginal pH and the presence of seme n components [prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and prostatic specific antigen (PSA)] in sexually active African women; ii) to assess whether vaginal douching performed after sexual intercourse could efficiently eliminate semen components and restore cervicovaginal acid pH. At inc lusion semen components were found in 41 CVS (89 %); the mean cervicov aginal pH was 6.12 (range, 3.86 to 8.33); concentrations of both PAP a nd PSA correlated positively and strongly with cervicovaginal pH (p < 0.001). After douching, semen components were found in only 31 CVS (67 %) (p < 0.03); vaginal PAP and PSA levels were significantly decrease d (p < 0.0001); PAP:-21 %; PSA : -36 %). Frequent persistence of semen in cervicovaginal secretions from heterosexually active African women leads to a shift from acidity to neutrality that could favor male-to- female HIV transmission.