Is HIV Positive Women More At Risk?


Gynecological conditions are common in women living with HIV and AIDS. They influence a woman's reproductive organs including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, cervix and vulva. For women living with HIV, these conditions can be more frequent, serious and hard to treat. They can range from chronic, frequent yeast infections, abnormal periods and vaginal warts to cervical cancer. For many women, repeated gynecological conditions are the first signs of immune suppression due to HIV infection.
Vaginal Candidacies: Yeast is a frequent fungus that normally exists in the body. Vaginal candidacies are an overgrowth of that yeast in the vulva and vagina. Many things can disturb the natural balance of the vaginal environment and cause a yeast infection. They can comprise taking antibiotics, birth control pills, steroids, pregnancy, obesity, diabetes and poor hygiene. Yeast is not sexually transmitted. For HIV-positive women, yeast infections are the mainly common first symptom of HIV. Recurring yeast infections and those that respond less well to treatment over time are signs of a weakening immune system. Symptoms of vaginal candidiasis contain itching and swelling of the vulva, thick white-yellow or cheesy discharge and flaming while urinating or having sex. As the immune system weakens, the major place of the yeast infection may move from the vagina to the mouth or esophagus. It can also influence organs and tissues throughout the body.

Treatment: Some reproductive health problems can be more common, more severe or harder to treat if having HIV. It can be treated with antibiotics but there is a risk of long-term pain and the recurrence of the condition. It can also result in infertility. It can be caused by untreated sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhoea and Chlamydia and other bacteria and infections like tuberculosis. Symptoms contain long-lasting pain in the minor abdomen, vaginal discharge, cramping through sex, deep internal ache, fever, vomiting, tiredness and unusual bleeding from the vagina. The sexual partners will need to have a sexual health monitor so they can have any infections diagnosed and treated. HIV-positive women may be more probable to have abnormal cervical cells caused by human papilloma virus. It can lead to cervical cancer, so it is very important that to have regular cervical PAP smear tests to check for these cells receive prompt treatment to remove them.



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