ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CERVICAL INFLAMMATION AND CERVICAL SHEDDING OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS DNA

A cross-sectional study was conducted among prostitutes in Nairobi, Ke nya, to determine the prevalence and correlates of cervical human immu nodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA. Ninety-two HIV-seropositive prostitutes were evaluated during 137 clinic visits. Cervical HIV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction assay in 36 (39%) women at initial visit s and in 40 (44%) women at any visit. There was a significant correlat ion between cervical HIV and microscopic evidence of cervical inflamma tion (odds ratio [OR], 7.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-24.6). U sing multivariate analysis to adjust for possible confounding, the adj usted OR for the association between cervical inflammation and cervica l HIV DNA was 8.7 (95% CI, 2.0-37.2). Conditions associated with cervi cal inflammation are associated with the detection of HIV proviral DNA . Whether such conditions lead to increased infectivity remains to be proven.