This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
HIV serostatus may impact genital HPV transmission, infection rates among couples
The rate of genital HPV infection among women with HIV was more than double the rate among women who did not have HIV in a recent study conducted in South Africa.
The aim of the study was to determine the impact of HIV coinfection on the concordance of HPV infection in 254 heterosexual couples.
Genital HPV infection was detected in 68% of women with HIV and in 31% of women who did not have HIV (P<.001). HPV was detected in 72% of men with HIV and in 43% of men who did not have HIV (P<.001).
The rate of HPV infection among HIV-seronegative men with HIV-seropositive partners was 58% (P=.001). The rate of HPV infection among seronegative men with seronegative partners was 32% (P=.001).
The researchers observed an association between HPV concordance and HIV infection status within couples (P<.001). Couples in which one or both partners had HIV were significantly more likely to share HPV infection than HIV-seronegative couples (P<.001).
HIV-seronegative couples were more likely to share one HPV type and were not likely to share more than one HPV type. Couples in which one or both partners had HIV were more likely to share more than one HPV type.
Male partners were likely to become infected with HPV if their partners had high HPV loads.
For more information: