Incidence of Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions in HIV-Infected Women

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Abstract
Invasive cervical cancer and its precursor lesions are the most important gynecologic manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.1 Women with HIV infection are about 5 times more likely than uninfected women to have cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs), the precursors to invasive cervical cancer.2-5 Invasive cervical cancer is found about 3 times more frequently in HIV-infected vs uninfected women in New York City.6 Also, young HIV-infected black and Hispanic women in the United States may have a 4- to 7-fold increased risk of invasive cervical cancer.7 However, most studies of this association have been cross-sectional in design, and the underlying causes for the association remain unclear.3,8-10 Prospective studies are needed to better define the relative importance of risk factors in the development of cervical SILs.