GERRI@IBM.COM (Gerri Oppedisano) (02/02/91)
> What is a "very high rate" of vaginal yeast infections? Is it like a > constant case of yeast infection? Is a "bad" pap smear also a sign? If > so, do gynecological test labs have any clue or does your pap result > just come back with a bad number and no explanation? .. How was it > determined that these were actually early signs of AIDS, being that > multiple yeast infections are so incredibly common? Some HIV+ women are reported to have severe cases of yeast infection, with more than the `average' amount of yeast, and quite resistant to the usual treatments. Pap smears involve examining cells to see if they are abnormal...if so, further tests would be done to try to determine the problem (for example, a biopsy to check for cancerous cells) - the smear itself will not indicate that someone had AIDS per se, just that they may have a condition that could be related to being HIV+ - remember than the harm of HIV is that is knocks out the immune system making the body more susceptible to other infections. It is not `determined' that yeast infections, et al are signs of AIDS, in fact the CDC claims that this has not been proven. Yeast infections are relatively common, but the higher prevalence of severe and treatment-resistant infections in many HIV+ women is, to my mind, quite convincing circumstantial evidence. Also, yeast infections of the mouth and throat are common in HIV+ men (thrush), so it seems highly reasonable. -Liz