Wide variation found in anal HPV viral loads in HIV-positive men

[Guest guest]

Thanks for posting this, . The take-home message the authors give is: "“apparently benign perianal warts could, in HIV-positive patients… progress to high-grade [anal disease] or cancer; hence, these patients should be monitored frequently.â€

As the study notes, the role of HPV viral load (unlike HIV viral load) is still unclear and not predictive. It's one of several things measured in clinical trials, but as yet it hasn't proven useful as a surrogate for disease progression in the way that HIV viral load has. The bottom line (all puns intended) is that HIV postive men and women should all insist on anal pap smears, followed up with high-resolution anoscopy, and aggressively treat any high-grade lesions. This has worked amazingly well in drastically reducing cervical cancer for the past 40 yrs in the developed world, and can do the same for anal cancer if people just get tested & treated.

Jeff T