Women infected with HIV and the impact of associated sexually transmitted infections

OBJECTIVE: To review the relationship between concomitant sexually transmitted infections in women infected with HIV. METHODS: PubMed and Scopus were searched for articles published in English and Portuguese between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2015, using relevant keywords, including AIDS, HIV, female genital diseases, and sexually transmitted infections. Articles that associated sexually transmitted infections with HIV-infected women were selected for inclusion. Those that only investigated prevalence in pregnant women or focused on social or behavioral aspects were excluded. RESULTS: Of 108 identified articles, 25 were included. When correlated with HIV, genital herpes has an increased recurrence rate and increases the replication rate of HIV in the mucosa. In HIV-positive women, syphilis can cause more genital ulcers. Bacterial vaginosis provides a pool of microorganisms that can increase the viral copy levels of genital HIV. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and candidiasis may be more severe and complicated in women infected with HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Screening of HIV-positive patients who could have other sexually transmitted infections is important to protect women and decrease the risk of transmission. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

• Population(s)
  • Women
  • General HIV+ population
• Co-infections
  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhea
  • Syphilis
  • Other