Influence of the human immunodeficiency virus on cervical precancerous lesions

Abstract

Objective To study the influence of HIV status on the occurrence of cervical precancerous lesions (CPL). Methods This analytical cross‐sectional study was carried out between December 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. All women with documented HIV status screened for CPL with biopsies performed were recruited. The main variables recorded included maternal age, educational level, number of sexual partners, age at first sexual intercourse, smoking, alcohol consumption, HIV status, CD4 count, and cervical biopsy result. Fisher exact test and Student's t test were used for comparison. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Concerning women attending our screening units, CPL was more frequent among those living with HIV/AIDS (20/92; 21.7%) than among those not living with HIV/AIDS (29/290; 10.0%) (p = 0.004). As regards women living with HIV/AIDS, those with a CD4 count below 350/mL were more at risk of having a CPL (odds ratio [OR] 21.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.60–81.56, p ˂ 0.001). High‐grade lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Stage 2 or 3) were more often found in women living with HIV/AIDS (OR 3.83, 95% CI 1.09–13.45, p = 0.033). Conclusion More attention should be paid to women living with HIV/AIDS, especially those with CD4 count less than 350/mL, who should be screened more often with biopsy frequently conducted if indicated.