Are Bacterial Vaginosis and HIV Susceptibility Linked?
In a large Ugandan study, researchers from CSPH, the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, and Makere University, Kampala, Uganda, in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, found a strong association between bacterial vaginosis and the prevalence of HIV infection. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common condition in which the normal acid-producing bacterial flora of the vagina (Lactobacilli) are replaced by anaerobic bacteria. Bacterial vaginosis causes the vaginal secretions to become more alkaline. The results of the study were published in the journal Lancet. The study, conducted in a rural Ugandan population, showed that in the age groups between 15 and 59, HIV prevalence was lowest (14.2%) in women with normal lactobacillus flora, was higher (19.5-20%) among women with intermediate and moderate vaginal flora abnormalities, and was highest (28.8%) among women with severe BV. Given that BV is very common in many underserviced populations over 50 percent of wome
