Molecular diagnosis of genital tract infections among HIV-positive women in Iran.
Year: 2018
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: (NG), and associated risk factors among HIV-infected women in Fars province, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, cervical swab samples were collected from 71 HIV-infected women, aged 17-45 years (mean ± standard deviation: 31.11 ± 6.58 years), and tested for HPV, HSV, CT, and NG using PCR assays. RESULTS: Overall, 77.5% of patients were positive for the tested STIs with the following distribution: 36 (50.7%) HPV, 7 (9.9%) HSV, 4 (5.6%) NG, and 27 (38%) CT. From those, 39 (55%) were positive for only one infection, while 16 (22.5%) were positive for multiple infections. We observed that the prevalence of all tested STIs increased by age, except for HSV which showed a slight decrease, although not statistically significant. Socio-economic factors such as low educational level, multiple sex partners, and being a sex worker significantly correlated with higher positive prevalence of STIs in the studied population. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of STIs was observed among HIV-infected women in this region. These data might prompt policy makers and STI experts to focus on providing a comprehensive sex education, including participation in screening programs for STIs among high-risk groups.
Source: Europe PMC (PubMed Central)
Institution: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Microbiology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2895321917