Abstract

To assess the association between candida and HIV infections in women from different socio-economic backgrounds, vaginal swabs were collected from 510 women (aged 9 - 83 years) attending secondary healthcare units in southern part of Benue State, Nigeria. Candida albicans was identified by microscopy. Candida infection rate was higher among HIV-infected women (88.8%, n = 116) than among HIV negative subjects (58.6, n = 394) (Χ² = 36.077, p < 0.05; odds ratio = 5.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.03 - 10.297). Candida (yeast) infection was significantly associated with HIV infection in pregnant subjects (r = 0.504, p < 0.05), married (r = .290, p < 0.05), and unmarried women (r = 0.259, p < 0.05); in married women (and also unmarried women) vaginal yeast infection was significantly correlated/associated with HIV infection (p < 0.05). In other words, the higher the number of married women who were HIV+, the higher the number with candidal yeast infection; in women ≤ 39 years old (r = 0.399, p < 0.05), civil servants (r = 0.328, p < 0.05), self/unemployed (r = 0.281, p < 0.05), and among university and secondary school students (r = 0.263, p < 0.05). All diabetic women (100%, n=106) had yeast infection, although only 3.8% of them were HIV-infected. Intervention programmes against yeast infections in HIV-infected women should be targeted at the vulnerable groups of women.

Key words: HIV, candida infection, HIV/Candida co-infection, pregnancy, diabetes, Idoma women.