Spectrums of sexually transmitted infections in HIV-infected patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Abstract

Background: Sexually transmitted co-infections increase HIV infectiousness through local inflammatory processes. The prevalence of STI among people living with HIV/AIDS has implications for containing the spread of HIV in general and the effectiveness of HIV treatments for prevention in particular. Objective: The objective for this study is to elucidate the prevalence and spectrums of STIs in HIV-infected patients in the Gandhinagar Civil Hospital. Materials and Methods: The evaluation of the prevalence and spectrums of STIs was conducted by using the clinical data of 834 HIV-infected patients in the Gandhinagar civil hospital from November 2012 to December 2013 who are attending physician OPD for STIs. Results: The prevalence and spectrums of STIs varied contingent on sex, age, CD4 levels, and treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART). We found that gonorrhea was most common STI with prevalence being 32.95%, followed by syphilis (21.68%), chlamydia (18.50%), herpes (17.05), tichomonas (6.36%), and chancroid (3.47%). Females (43.67%) are more prone to get STIs than males (40.15%). STIs in AIDS are more common in 21–40 years (58.33%) of age group. STI is more common in patients with CD4 count between 51 and 100 (86.96%) followed by 101–150 (85.71%). STI is more common in patients who are not on ART (53.41%) than those on ART (27.67%). We found that young age (21–30) was the only independent risk factor for infection with CT or GC among women receiving HIV continuity care, but prevalence was high in all age groups. Conclusion: The prevalence and spectrums of STIs was discussed in this study. It would help increase the awareness for physicians to make a diagnosis and empirical treatment sooner and plan good management strategies, especially in resource-limited regions.