Human immunodeficiency virus seroprevalence among cervical cancer patients

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and cervical neoplasia intimately share several epidemiologic factors, the most important being the role of sexuality in their prevalence. Recent reports have suggested a strong association between the two conditions. In Africa HIV transmission is predominantly heterosexual and there is no significant sex preference. The prevalence of cervical cancer is also high in Africa and may be rising. Two hundred African patients with cervical carcinoma in Nairobi, Kenya, were screened for HIV seropositivity by both ELISA and Western blot. A seroprevalence rate of only 1.5% was obtained. This was comparable to the 2% found in the general population but much lower than the 18-59% recorded in recognized high-risk groups. The background to these surprising results and their implications are discussed.