Cervical ectopy in adolescent girls with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection

The objective of this study was to examine factors, including human immunod eficiency virus (HIV) infection, associated with ectopy among adolescent gi rls aged 12-20 years who were participating in an ongoing study of HIV infe ction in adolescents. Samples for detection of bacterial vaginosis, Chlamyd ia trachomatis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and a high-resolution photograph of the cervix for ectopy measurement were collected. Ectopy data for 189 an d 92 HIV-positive and -negative adolescents, respectively, were examined. A lthough univariate analysis found HIV infection and oral contraceptive use to be associated with the amount of ectopy, multivariate logistic regressio n analysis showed that only number of lifetime sex partners was a significa nt predictor, with more partners associated with less ectopy (odds ratio, 0 .47; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-1.00; P = .05). In summary, adolescent g irls with greater numbers of lifetime sex partners were more likely to have mature cervixes (less ectopy). HIV infection was not independently associa ted with ectopy.