The population of people living with HIV in Western nations has very high rates of numerous factors that increase cancer risk, including smoking, coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus, and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, aidsmap reports. Publishing their findings in the journal AIDS, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 113 studies, all of which reported on HIV-positive people receiving care between 2000 and 2013 in Western nations and which were published between 2011 and 2013.

In the studies that reported such data, the overall prevalence of various risk factors among the HIV population studied compared with the U.S. population was as follows: active nicotine addiction, 54 percent vs. 20 to 23 percent; cervical high-risk HPV infection, 46 percent vs. 29 percent; oral high-risk HPV, 16 percent vs. 4 percent; anal high-risk HPV infection in men who have sex with men (MSM), 68 percent (with no comparison figures available); hep C coinfection, 26 percent vs. 0.9 percent; hep B coinfection, 5 percent vs. 0.3 percent; being overweight or obese, 53 percent vs. 68 percent.  

To read the study abstract, click here.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.