Women & HIV/AIDS

Opportunistic Infections

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People with HIV can develop opportunistic infections (OIs). These are infections that take advantage of weakness in the immune system. OIs also include certain types of cancer. Some OIs only affect women or affect women more than men. For example, certain female health problems, like yeast infections, are common to many women. For women with HIV, these problems are harder to treat and can be more serious. If you have HIV and develop one or more OI, you might have AIDS. The good news is that there are ways to prevent and treat many OIs. If you have symptoms of an OI, talk to your doctor right away. Your treatment might change to fight off the OI. The drugs or combination of drugs that work best are different depending on the OI.

Common OIs include:

• CMV (cytomegalovirus)
• Crypto (cryptosporidiosis)
• Cryptococcal Meningitis
• HCV (hepatitis C virus)
• Histoplasmosis
• MAC (mycobacterium avium complex)
• PCP (pneumocystis carinii pneumonia)
• TB (tuberculosis)
• Thrush (candidiasis)
• Toxo (toxoplasmosis)

Women also have these OIs:

• Genital Ulcers
• HPV (human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer
• Menstrual Problems
• PID (pelvic inflammatory disease)
• UTI (urinary tract infections)
• Vaginal Yeast Infections (candidiasis)

Other problems that HIV causes:

• ADC (AIDS dementia complex)
• HIV Wasting Syndrome
• Mouth Problems

Additional Resources:

Publications

1.   HIV Infection In Women — This fact sheet addresses the special concerns that women with HIV/AIDS face.

   http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/Understanding/Population+Specific+Information/womenHiv.htm...

2.   Opportunistic Infections — This page links to information on opportunistic infections from AIDSinfo.gov and other web sites.

   http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?MenuItem=HealthTopics&Search=Off&Healt...

3.     Recommended Immunizations for HIV Positive Adults — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides this list of recommended immunizations for adults with HIV to ensure they do not contract these opportunistic illnesses.

   http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ContentFiles/Recommended_Immunizations_FS_en.pdf

4.   Safe Food and Water: A Guide for People With HIV Infection — This publication explains how people with HIV can prevent getting infections from improperly prepared food and water.

   http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/brochure/food.htm

5.   Treating Opportunistic Infections Among HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents — This report gives guidelines for treating opportunistic infections in people with HIV/AIDS. It also gives information on dealing with infections during pregnancy, and it lists treatment recommendations for several common infections.

   http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5315a1.htm

6. Gynecological Conditions and HIV/AIDS (Copyright © Project Inform) — This publication describes the common gynecological complications and conditions that women with HIV may experience.

   http://www.projectinform.org/info/gyn/index.shtml

7. HIV: How to Avoid Infections When You Have HIV (Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians) — This fact sheet discusses ways to protect yourself from other infections if you are HIV-positive.

   http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/sexinfections/hiv/248.html

8. Strategies for Managing Opportunistic Infections (Copyright © Project Inform) — This publication explains the connection between HIV and opportunistic health conditions, and it gives information on preventing and treating opportunistic infections.

   http://www.projectinform.org/info/ois/index.shtml

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated March 4, 2009.