Objective: To relate self-reported morbidity and clinical findings to HIV-status in rural women in Zimbabwe.
Design: A cross sectional study.
Setting: 12 randomly selected villages in rural Gutu District, Zimbabwe.
Subjects: In 1992 to 1993 all women of fertile age (15 to 44 years) in the selected villages were interviewed and examined (n = 1,213). Retrospectively, HIV status was assessed anonymously from frozen blood samples.
Main outcome measures: Self-reported morbidity, body mass index (BMI), arm circumference, palpable lymphnodes, prevalence of syphilis, haemoglobin, HIV status.
Results: Overall HIV prevalence was 22%. Mean haemoglobin (Hb) was significantly lower (p < 0.005) and anaemia was significantly more common (p < 0.001) among HIV positive women. Syphilis prevalence was 2.2%, a positive syphilis test increased the risk of being HIV positive three-fold. Persistent cough was significantly more common in HIV positives (OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.4-6.2). Palpable lymphnodes was the most common clinical finding and generalised lymph adenopathy had a positive predictive value of 67% for HIV. Self-reported morbidity was low and no increased pregnancy loss was reported related to HIV.
Conclusion: The low morbidity found in 1992 to 1993, in spite of the high prevalence, indicates a fairly short duration of the HIV infection and would also have contributed to the late awareness of the problem.