Colposcopic Findings in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Positive Patients in Port Harcourt, Nigeria https://doi.org/10.60787/NMJ-64-1-246

Main Article Content

Sapira-Ordu Leesi
Nyengidiki Kennedy T
Bassey Goddy
Sapira Monday K
Wegbom AI
Awoyesuku Peter A
John DH

Keywords

Colposcopy, PLWHA, HIV/AIDS, Gynaecology

Abstract

Background: Colposcopy is an outpatient procedure that involves visualization of the cervix, vagina and vulva using a magnifying optical instrument called the colposcope. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased incidence of cervical malignancies which can be detected by colposcopy. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix using colposcopic assessment among HIV-positive women at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Alakahia between August and June 2015.


Methodology: One hundred HIV-positive women were recruited randomly with an uptake rate of 97%. Informed consent was obtained from each individual and data was collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. They all had a colposcopic examination. Data analysis was done using SPSS. Ethical approval was obtained from the hospital’s ethical committee before the research commenced.


Results: Ninety-seven out of one hundred subjects had satisfactory colposcopy. The prevalence of premalignant lesions from colposcopy was 53.6%. The mean age of respondents; was 37.44 ±7.20 years, and the mean age for premalignant lesions; was 37.73 ±7.49 years. The age range was 21-56 years. Thirty-four (35.4%) had coitarche before eighteen years of age, fifty-five (57.3%) had it after the age of eighteen, and seven (7.3%) had no idea. The majority (68.8%) have had two or more sexual partners in their lifetime. The mean CD4 count was 543.77 cells/mm3.


Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of premalignant lesions among HIV-positive women. This indicates that a routinely scheduled colposcopic examination of the cervix may aid in the early detection and treatment of the lesions, which will further decrease the incidence of cervical cancer among this population.

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