abstract
People living with HIV (PLWH) constitute a vulnerable population for acquiring additional sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study was conducted to provide a summary of the evidence on the global prevalence of STIs in PLWH with an emphasis on infectious agents, diagnostic methods, and related risk factors. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched to include records published from January 01, 1990, to January 31, 2022, and the Google Scholar search engine was used to check the search strategy. In total, 132 eligible studies reporting STIs in PLWH were included, enrolling subjects from 35 countries across five continents. The pooled proportion of STIs was estimated to be 30.23% (95% CI, 26.1-34.45%) in PLWH and 20.01% (95% CI, 17.17-23.01%) in HIV-negative patients. Our meta-analysis indicated that in PLWH, the pooled OR of STIs compared to HIV-negatives was 1.77 (95% CI: 1.58-1.98) (p < 0.0001). The pooled OR of STIs by viral infectious agents was highest in PLWH (52.19% [95% CI: 43.88-60.43]) compared with fungal (22.19% [95% CI: 15.64-29.53]), bacterial (19.07% [95% CI: 13.59-26.63]), and parasitic (14.05% [95% CI: 11.88-16.38]) infections. Our findings show that there is a rather significant frequency of STIs among PLWH. This study highlights the need for new programs for the detection, treatment, and prevention of STIs in this at-risk population.
keywords
HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS; HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION; MYCOPLASMA-GENITALIUM INFECTION; TRICHOMONAS-VAGINALIS INFECTION; UNINFECTED PREGNANT-WOMEN; FEMALE SEX WORKERS; HEPATITIS-B-VIRUS; ACTIVE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY; CERVICAL HPV INFECTION; NEGATIVE WOMEN
subject category
Immunology; Infectious Diseases
authors
Ebrahimi, M; Mehdizad, N; Yeganeh-Sefidan, F; Safarpour, H; Pagheh, AS; Pouremamali, A; Shiralizadeh, S; Ghodrati, A; Jafari, S; Shahrivar, F; Heidarzadeh, S; Montazeri, M; Yousef-Memar, M; Rodrigues-Oliveira, SM; de-Lourdes-Pereira, M; Beloukas, A; Hatam-Nahavandi, K; Barac, A; Shirvaliloo, M; Ahmadpour, E
our authors
Maria de Lourdes Gomes Pereira
Associate Professor with AggregationProjects
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020)
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDP/50011/2020)
Associated Laboratory CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (LA/P/0006/2020)
acknowledgements
Project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020, UIDP/50011/2020 & LA/P/0006/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC (PID-DAC) is recognized.