Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women Infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an important risk factor for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the development of HPV-associated lesions in the female genital tract. HPV DNA is 2 to 3 times as frequent in cervicovaginal-lavage specimens and almost 15 times as common in anal-swab specimens from HIV-seropositive women as in those from HIV-seronegative women. 1 – 6 In addition, HIV-seropositive women are about five times as likely as HIV-seronegative women to have squamous intraepithelial lesions, vulvovaginal condyloma acuminata, or anal intraepithelial neoplasia. 2 – 8 These findings suggest that HIV infection, HIV-associated immunosuppression, or both increase a woman's susceptibility to . . .