Greenblatt RM, Hilton J, Palacio H, Landers D, Clanon K, Cohen J, Brosgart C, Ameli N, Wofsy C, Padian N; HIV Infection in Women Conference.
Program Abstr HIV Infect Women Conf HIV Infect Women Conf 1995 Wash DC. 1995 Feb 22-24; S51.
UCSF, San Francisco, CA.
Despite general interest in the manifestations of HIV infection among women, little is known about the effects of HIV on menstruation. We investigated the occurrence of factors associated with vaginal spotting, irregular menstrual cycles and missed menses among 175 HIV-seropositive women who were consecutively at 5 HIV clinics and 2 research cohorts. Participants underwent a historical interview, physical examination and laboratory evaluation. Eighteen women were excluded from analysis due to previous hysterectomy (17) or incomplete data (1). The median T-helper cell count was 390 cells/mm3. Menstrual cycles varying by more than 3 days were reported by 52% of 146 women, skipped menses were reported by 31% of 152 women, and spotting was reported by 20% of 151 women. Fifty-nine percent of women had at least one and 36% of women had at least two symptoms of menstrual irregularity. In univariate analysis, menstrual irregularity was associated with greater age (p=0.007), greater number of pregnancies (p=0.023), use of HIV antivirals (p=0.016), current use of topical or oral antifungal agents (p=0.051), number of constitutional or neurological symptoms (p less than 0.003), the presence of p-24 antigenemia (p=0.063) and lower CD-4 cell count (p=0.06). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, neurological symptoms (OR=1.67, 95% CI=1.19-2.38) were significantly associated with menstrual irregularity. Age (1.06, 1-1.14); number of pregnancies (1.19, 1-1.41) and CD-4 cell count (0.62, 0.36-1.09) were marginally associated with menstrual irregularity. Irregularities of the menstrual cycle are common among women with HIV infection. The occurrence of neurological symptoms was closely associated with menstrual irregularities; abnormal body/mass index were not. These findings should prompt investigation of the relationships between neuroendocrine function, progression of HIV-related immune abnormalities, age and ovulatory function among women HIV infection.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Body Mass Index
- Female
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Humans
- Menstrual Cycle
- Menstruation
- Menstruation Disturbances
Other ID:
UI: 102214857
From Meeting Abstracts