BACKGROUND: The number of female injection drug users infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing in Taiwan. Their human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has not been fully discussed. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a prison for women. Both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women were enrolled voluntarily. All patients answered self-administered questionnaires, had a Pap smear, and underwent linear array HPV genotype tests. RESULTS: A total of 72 female patients infected with HIV and 76 women who were not infected with HIV were enrolled in this cross-sectional study (mean age, 33.4 years). HPV infection was detected in 63.9% of patients infected with HIV and 47.4% of HIV-negative counterparts (p=0.043). Oncogenic HPV was detected in 41.6% of patients infected with HIV and 28.9% of their counterparts (p=0.10). A mean of 2.41 types of HPV were detected in HIV-positive women and 1.53 types were detected in the HIV-negative counterparts (p=0.014). HPV 52 was the most commonly encountered oncogenic type. Only 10.2% of the patients (10.9% of HIV-positive patients) had vaccine-preventable HPV types. Patients with abnormal cytology (81.3%) tended to have oncogenic types of HPV infection. HIV serostatus was the significant factor associated with oncogenic HPV infection (odds ratio=2.583, 95% confidence interval 1.071-6.231, p=0.0347). CONCLUSION: Drug-using women infected with HIV had significantly higher rates of HPV infections, justifying the aggressive screening for cervical dysplasia.
BACKGROUND: The number of female injection drug users infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing in Taiwan. Their human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has not been fully discussed. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a prison for women. Both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women were enrolled voluntarily. All patients answered self-administered questionnaires, had a Pap smear, and underwent linear array HPV genotype tests. RESULTS: A total of 72 female patients infected with HIV and 76 women who were not infected with HIV were enrolled in this cross-sectional study (mean age, 33.4 years). HPV infection was detected in 63.9% of patients infected with HIV and 47.4% of HIV-negative counterparts (p=0.043). Oncogenic HPV was detected in 41.6% of patients infected with HIV and 28.9% of their counterparts (p=0.10). A mean of 2.41 types of HPV were detected in HIV-positive women and 1.53 types were detected in the HIV-negative counterparts (p=0.014). HPV 52 was the most commonly encountered oncogenic type. Only 10.2% of the patients (10.9% of HIV-positive patients) had vaccine-preventable HPV types. Patients with abnormal cytology (81.3%) tended to have oncogenic types of HPV infection. HIV serostatus was the significant factor associated with oncogenic HPV infection (odds ratio=2.583, 95% confidence interval 1.071-6.231, p=0.0347). CONCLUSION: Drug-using women infected with HIV had significantly higher rates of HPV infections, justifying the aggressive screening for cervical dysplasia.