Gender differences in AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma in Harare, Zimbabwe

Reasons for gender-related differences in the risk of AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma (AIDS-KS) are unknown. Four hundred thirty-eight male and 166 female AIDS-KS patients were evaluated in Harare, Zimbabwe. Female patients were younger than male patients in this study (median of 33 vs. 38 years; P < 0.001), mirroring the epidemiology of AIDS in Zimbabwe. In a multivariate model adjusted for CD4 T-cell count, age, prior radiation treatment, and chemotherapy, women were more likely to report fever, diaphoresis, or weight loss (odds ratio = 1.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.1 to 2.7; P = 0.009). These findings suggest an increased severity of KS or other unidentified infections among women with AIDS-KS in Zimbabwe.