STI: a critical risk factor for HIV

The presence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly the virus of genital herpes (HSV-2), is a major factor for HIV, according to a study in Tanzanian working in bars and hotels . STI: a critical risk factor for HIV

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of 689 women working in Moshi town in northern Tanzania. All HIV-negative at the start of trial, they were 32 to be infected with HIV after a year of monitoring, equivalent to an incidence of 4.6 cases per 100 person-years of risk taking.

Their results confirm an increased risk in the presence of other STIs, with a 4.3-fold increase in HSV-2 + people at the beginning of trial, and 5.5 among women who acquire HSV- 2 that thereafter.

Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis into prostitution, these women are one of the most affected by the African AIDS epidemic populations remind Kapiga Saidi, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston (MA), and colleagues.

The researchers conducted a study early test increases the risk by 5.2.

"Primary prevention of infection with HSV-2, including the development of an effective vaccine could have a major impact to reduce the magnitude of the AIDS epidemic" in Africa, the researchers believe.

Lawrence Corey, University of Washington in Seattle will examine the preventive value of anti-herpes acyclovir against HIV in HIV-negative women.

Other studies have shown that anti-herpes aciclovir and valaciclovir resulted in a reduction in viral load of HIV + women.

Another study published simultaneously involves the idea of a dialogue between the two viruses, at least in the early stages of HIV infection.

Conducted on 294 HIV + gay men in San Diego (California), this work shows no difference in viral load among HSV-2 + and HSV-2 during the acute phase.

The authors of this second study, the lack of interaction could be the result of the study population, men and not women, but also the strain of HIV.