The effect of human immunodeficiency virus prevalence on the epidemiology of conventional cervical cytological abnormalities: an institutional experience

Abstract

Objectives: Despite a shift towards other screening modalities, cervical cytology still has an important screening function in many settings. The worldwide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has impacted severely on cervical cancer, resulting in women presenting at a younger age with more advance disease and poorer prognosis. The objective of this study was to compare different datasets from different time periods to assess the possible impact of HIV infection on the epidemiological characteristics of conventional cervical cytology screening results.