OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to compare the frequencies of vaginal
infections among human immunodeficiency virus-infected women with those amo
ng human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative women.
STUDY DESIGN: Human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive women attending a c
omprehensive care center for human immunodeficiency virus disease at the ou
tpatient department of an inner-city hospital in Houston underwent rigorous
gynecologic evaluation for sexually transmitted diseases, including eviden
ce of vaginal infections such as bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidia
sis, and trichomonal vaginitis. Demographic information was collected, as w
as information regarding disease classification and degree of immunosuppres
sion. Data regarding sexually transmitted diseases, data regarding vaginal
infections, and demographic information were collected from a cohort of hum
an immunodeficiency virus-seronegative women attending a sexually transmitt
ed disease and family planning clinic at the same institution. The two grou
ps were compared to determine whether there were any differences between th
em in the frequencies of sexually transmitted diseases and vaginal infectio
n. Data analysis used the t test for parametric data and the Fisher exact t
est for nonparametric data where appropriate. P<.05 was considered signific
ant. Statistical analysis was performed with the SAS (SAS Institute, Inc, C
ary, NC) statistical software package.
RESULTS: There was no difference in age between the 2 groups. The human imm
unodeficiency virus-infected group was predominantly African American (80.5
%), whereas the human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative control group was
more evenly divided between African American women (45.8%) and Latinos (41
.7%; P < .0001). Although there was no significant association between HIV
infection and sexually transmitted diseases in general, there were signific
ant associations between human immunodeficiency virus infection and bacteri
al vaginosis (P = .02), vulvovaginal candidiasis (P = .001), and trichomona
l vaginitis (P = .003).
CONCLUSION: Human immunodeficiency virus-infected women had increased frequ
encies of vaginal infections, including bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal c
andidiasis, and trichomonal vaginitis, with respect to human immunodeficien
cy virus-seronegative control subjects. No differences between the 2 groups
were seen in the frequencies of sexually transmitted diseases.