Association between genital schistosomiasis and HIV in rural Zimbabwean women

Abstract

Women with genital schistosomiasis had an almost three-fold risk of having HIV in this rural Zimbabwean community. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the association.

Tissue schistosomiasis in accra ghana: a retrospective histopathologic review at the korle-bu teaching hospital (2004-2011)

“…This agreed with publications that found the cervix as a common site [34] but differs from others that did not find the cervix as a common site of female genital schistosomiasis [35,36]. Schistosomiasis of the female genital tract causes damage to the epithelium especially in the sexually active age group, and could predispose the individual to sexually transmitted infections such as; HIV, HPV infections, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, or Trichomonas vaginalis [37][38][39]. This seens to suggest that, the females (40.0%) with genital tract schistosomiasis in this current study are equally at risk of sexually transmitted infections.…”

The role of estrogens and estrogen receptor signaling pathways in cancer and infertility: the case of schistosomes

“…In addition, as many as 75% of women infected with S. haematobium suffer from female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) of the lower genital tract [3]. FGS results from deposition of schistosome eggs in the uterus, cervix, vagina, and/or vulva, with ensuing inflammatory responses; it also increases susceptibility of the woman to HIV [9][10][11]. The resulting FGS is associated with contact bleeding, discharge, pain on intercourse, as well as diminished fertility, besides being a source of shame and stigma [12].…”

Schistosomiasis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Men in Tanzania

“…2 Other groups have reported similar results in women, and suggested that parasite-inducted genital tract lesions may permit HIV viral entry. 3 Our additional observation that women with Schistosoma mansoni infection also had an increased prevalence of HIV infection 4 led us to postulate that chronic systemic inflammation caused by schistosome infection may be an additional mechanism of increased HIV risk, since S. mansoni primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, increased susceptibility to HIV infection in individuals with schistosomiasis may be due to generalized systemic immune alterations, and for this reason may affect men in addition to women.…”