Skin diseases are
common among HIV patients

Skin diseases are relatively common among HIV-positive adults, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of theAmerican Academy of Dermatology, Reuters Health reports. The study, conducted by researchers in Brazil, focused on nearly 900 HIV-positive people who visited a dermatology clinic between 1997 and 2002. More than 60% of the study subjects had started taking antiretroviral drugs before visiting the clinic. About 18% of the clinic patients experienced folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles in the skin. Genital warts, caused by coinfection with human papillomavirus, were reported in 11.5% of the study participants. Seborrheic dermatitis was reported in 10.6% of the clinic patients. The researchers also reported that molluscum contagiosum, a skin disease caused by a pox virus, was more common among HIV patients taking anti-HIV drugs than among those not receiving antiretroviral therapy, but they are unsure why antiretrovirals seem to boost risks for the condition. (The Advocate)