Compared to seronegative at-risk women, HIV-positive women are more likely to undergo hysterectomy over a 5-year period. However, after adjustment, the difference does not reach significance.
In the April 15th issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Dr. L. Stewart Massad of Southern Illinois University, Springfield and colleagues note that there is some previous evidence of increased hysterectomy rates in women with HIV.
To investigate further, the researchers studied data on 3752 women, 2361 of whom were HIV-seropositive. At a median follow-up of 5.4 years, 106 (4.5%) of the women with HIV had undergone hysterectomy, compared with 24 (2.9%) of the women without HIV.
Cervical neoplasia, followed by fibroids, were the most common reasons for hysterectomy in the women with HIV. In those without HIV, causality was reversed, with fibroids the most common reason for the surgery, followed by cervical neoplasia.
The researchers note that cervical neoplasia is more common in women with HIV, but there was no significant difference between groups in surgical indications.
The team also observes that despite large numbers of women being studied, the number undergoing hysterectomy remains small, and much remains to be established.
However, they note that within this cohort, "continuing surveillance of hysterectomy trends is ongoing."
J Acqir Immune Defic Syndr 2007;44:566-568.
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