High prevalence of HIV-1, HIV-2 and other sexually transmitted infections among women attending two sexual health clinics in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa

Abstract

The objective was to examine the prevalence of HIV-1, HIV-2 and 10 other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and to explore the relationship between HIV and those STIs in women attending two sexual health clinics in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. In all, 711 women with urogenital problems were included. Clinical examination was performed and HIV-1, HIV-2, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-1, HTLV-2 and syphilis were diagnosed by serology. Trichomonas vaginalis was examined using wet mount microscopy. Cervical samples (and swabs from visible ulcers, if present) were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Haemophilus ducreyi, herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and HSV-2, and culture diagnosis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The prevalence of HIV-1, HIV-2, and HIV-1 and HIV-2 (dual infection) was 9.5%, 1.8% and 1.1%, respectively. The prevalence of HTLV-1 was 2.8%, HTLV-2 0%, HSV-1 1.4%, HSV-2 7.7%, T. vaginalis 20.4%, syphilis 1.0%, N. gonorrhoeae 1.3%, H. ducreyi 2.7%, M. genitalium 7.7% and C. trachomatis 12.6%. HIV-1 and/or HIV-2 infection was significantly associated with active HSV-2 and HIV-1 was significantly associated with M. genitalium infection. In conclusion, HIV-1 and HIV-2 prevalence was higher compared with previous studies of pregnant women in Guinea-Bissau. The prevalence of co-infection of HIV and other STIs is high. National evidence-based guidelines for the management of STIs in Guinea-Bissau are essential.

Low prevalences of HIV infection and HSV genital shedding in the general adult female population in Senegal

“…If this hypothesis is correct, the seroprevalence of HSV-1 may decrease in young adults living in Senegal, whereas the rate of primary genital herpes caused by HSV-1 could increase. Such a change would be consistent with observations from Guinea-Bissau, a neighbouring country of Senegal, in which the shedding of genital herpes was 1.4% for HSV-1 and 7.7% for HSV-2 among women attending sexual health clinics in Bissau [37]. Further study in Senegal and Western Africa is needed to confirm this latter hypothesis.…”

Emergence of HIV Types and Risk Factors in Pregnant Women in Burkina Faso from 2006 to 2014

“…In this population of pregnant women, the proportion of HIV-1 (94.2%) was predominant in contrast to that of HIV-2 (4.5%) and HIV-D (1.27%). These results confirm the high prevalence of HIV-1 in the world and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa [4,5,12,35]. This disproportion between HIV-1 and HIV-2 is due to the different transmission rates of both viruses [36,37] including sexual which is low for HIV-2 (estimated at 1/3 that of HIV-1) [38,23].…”

“…HIV-1 first to be discovered [1,2], is more prevalent than HIV-2 [3][4][5]. This explains the direction of research into HIV-1 since 1984 for its diagnosis and in particular by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and Western Blot for the detection of antibodies, antigenemia P24, PCR [6] or the cell culture [7] to treatment including molecular research by deciphering of its genome, viral load and resistance to antiretroviral [8][9][10][11].…”

Phenotypic and genetic characterisation of bacterial sexually transmitted infections in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa: a prospective cohort study

“…However, after the civil war in 1998–1999, the HIV-2 prevalence has decreased and in contrast the HIV-1 prevalence has increased 2. HIV seropositive individuals have shown a higher prevalence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and presence of several bacterial STIs has been associated with a facilitated HIV acquisition and transmission 2 3…”