Hormones
Your CD4 count can rise and fall a little with your menstrual cycle, but this should not affect your health. However, women with a low CD4 count and/or high viral load may experience abnormal periods. These effects may be a warning sign that the virus is threatening the immune system.
HIV can also interfere with some women’s ability to produce certain hormones and lead to an early menopause.
Stay healthy: tips
If your period is abnormal, report it to the doctor:
- Missed periods
- Long gaps between periods
- Abnormal bleeding, such as after sex
- Heavy periods
If you have symptoms of the menopause, talk to the doctor:
- Less frequent periods, a dry vagina, feeling hot in the face, or a change in your mood and sleep.
Gynaecological problems
HIV can cause conditions that can be hard to treat. For one thing, HIV-positive women often carry the Human Papilloma Virus which can cause cervical cancer. Having regular smear tests is very important so the cells can be treated early.
Other infections that can be a problem in HIV positive-women are:
- Thrush
- Genital herpes
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
Stay healthy: tips
- No-one enjoys cervical smears, but they’re really important. Have a smear once a year at your GP or sexual health clinic.
- Report any unusual sores, discharge, or pain in your genitals or lower abdomen.
