11th International AIDS Conference Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:33 (abstract no. LB.C.6055)
Griffioen A; University College London Medical School, London, WUE. Fax: 0171-388 4179. E-mail: agriffioen@qum.ucl.acuv.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the factors related to progression of HIV disease in a cohort of HIV positive women.

METHODS: Cohort study of HIV positive women recruited from 15 Genito-urinary Medicine/HIV clinics in Britain and Ireland between June 1992 and August 1995. Cox proportional hazard models have been used to investigate the importance of several co-factors in the progression of HIV infection to AIDS and death.

RESULTS: 507 women have been recruited into the study, with follow-up of 514 women-years (median 14 months range 0-35). 112 women had an AIDS defining illness at entry to the study and 52 women developed AIDS subsequently. 69 women died during the study period. The presence of an AIDS-defining diagnosis at entry and log CD4 count were strongly predictive of progression to AIDS and death and have been adjusted for in subsequent analyses. Probable route of infection appeared to be related to prognosis. When compared with sexual transmission, intravenous drug use was associated with an increased in mortality rate (RR=2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.6), and a slight increase in progression to AIDS (RR=1.3 95% CI 07-23). However, there was no significant difference between the black African or white women with sexual transmission in rate of progression to AIDS or in mortality rate. Age at study entry, alcohol consumption, smoking and oral contraceptive use were not significantly related to progression to AIDS or to death.

CONCLUSION: Women with sexually acquired HIV infection experience a lower death rate than women infected by intravenous drug use, but ethnic group has no effect on prognosis. The lifestyle factors evaluated also appear to have little effect on the prognosis of HIV-positive women.

960707
LBC6055

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