Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Nov;43(11):698-705.
doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000513.

Prevalence and Correlates of Genital Infections Among Newly Diagnosed Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Adults Entering Human Immunodeficiency Virus Care in Windhoek, Namibia

Gaston Djomand  1 , Madeleine Schlefer, Steve Gutreuter, Sarah Tobias, Roopal Patel, Nickolas DeLuca, Julia Hood, Souleymane Sawadogo, Cheng Chen, Alexinah Muadinohamba, David W Lowrance, Naomi Bock
Affiliations

Prevalence and Correlates of Genital Infections Among Newly Diagnosed Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Adults Entering Human Immunodeficiency Virus Care in Windhoek, Namibia

Gaston Djomand et al. Sex Transm Dis. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Identifying and treating genital infections, including sexually transmitted infections (STI), among newly diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals may benefit both public and individual health. We assessed prevalence of genital infections and their correlates among newly diagnosed HIV-infected individuals enrolling in HIV care services in Namibia.

Methods: Newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults entering HIV care at 2 health facilities in Windhoek, Namibia, were recruited from December 2012 to March 2014. Participants provided behavioral and clinical data including CD4+ T lymphocyte counts. Genital and blood specimens were tested for gonorrhea, Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, Mycoplasma genitalium, syphilis, bacterial vaginosis, and vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Results: Among 599 adults, 56% were women and 15% reported consistent use of condoms in the past 6 months. The most common infections were bacterial vaginosis (37.2%), trichomoniasis (34.6%) and Chlamydia (14.6%) in women and M. genitalium (11.4%) in men. Correlates for trichomoniasis included being female (adjusted relative risk, [aRR], 7.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.07-12.65), higher education (aRR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.38-0.89), and lower CD4 cell count (aRR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.08-2.40). Being female (aRR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.27-4.50), nonmarried (aRR, 2.30; (95% CI, 1.28-4.14), and having condomless sex (aRR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.06-7.00) were independently associated with chlamydial infection. Across all infections, female (aRR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.79-2.98), nonmarried participants (aRR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.06-1.59), had higher risk to present with any STI, whereas pregnant women (aRR, 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.31) were at increased risk of any STI or reproductive tract infection.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

References

    1. Ward H, Ronn M. Contribution of sexually transmitted infections to the sexual transmission of HIV. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2010;5:305–310. - PMC - PubMed
    1. McClelland RS, Sangare L, Hassan WM, et al. Infection with Trichomonas vaginalis increases the risk of HIV-1 acquisition. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:698–702. - PubMed
    1. Anderson BL, Wang CC, Delong AK, et al. Genital tract leukocytes and shedding of genital HIV type 1 RNA. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;47:1216–1221. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hayes R, Watson-Jones D, Celum C, et al. Treatment of sexually transmitted infections for HIV prevention: End of the road or new beginning? AIDS. 2010;24(Suppl 4):S15–S26. - PMC - PubMed
    1. WHO. World Health Organization; 2008. [Accessed on January 30, 2015]. Essential prevention and care interventions for adults and adolescents living with HIV in resource-limited settings. http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/prev_care/OMS_EPP_AFF_en.pdf.

Publication types