Depressive symptoms, intrusive thoughts, sleep quality and sexual quality of life in women co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus and human papillomavirus.

BACKGROUND

Women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience major challenges and often report marked decreases in sexual functioning and quality of life (QOL). HIV-infected women also face challenges concerned with other commonly observed concomitant sexually transmitted organisms, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), which may further affect sexual QOL. Despite advances made in understanding factors that predict sexual functioning and QOL in men with HIV, relatively little is understood about the role of behavioural and emotional factors in women.

METHODS

As a preliminary inquiry into this question, this study related depressive symptoms, AIDS-related intrusive thoughts and sleep quality with sexual QOL reports in 21 HIV+HPV+ women.

RESULTS

We found that depressive symptoms, intrusive thoughts and sleep quality individually predicted poorer sexual QOL. Further analyses suggested that depression mediated the relationship between intrusive thoughts and sexual QOL.

DISCUSSION: Implications for further work and clinical interventions to address depressive symptoms in this population are discussed.