Vaginal Yeast Infection Symptom of HIV?

[ZoeyJane0320]

I recently tested positive for a vaginal yeast infection during a routine appointment with my gynecologist.  Bacterial STD test were also performed and they were negative.  

I read on the internet that vaginal yeast infections can be early signs of HIV infection in women.  Is this true?  Meaning, free of other systems would a vaginal yeast infection alone be a presenting or initial sign of HIV infection in the first six months or less since a hypothetical exposure?  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, this does not raise concerns about HIV for me.  You are far, far morel ikely to have acquired a cold from your activities of daily life than HIV.  EWH

[ZoeyJane0320]

Doctor, sorry again.  What if two weeks after yeast infection was treated with antibiotics I am feeling cold like symptoms?  Could that be a bad sign so soon after the yeast infection?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You need to be a bit more patient.  We do not man the site 24/7.

Several comments.  First, the internet is famous for taking things out of context and thereby misleading people.  Second, many sources feel one needs to warn persons about the worst possible thing that could occur, rather than place them in perspective.  Persons and organizations which do this however have little sense of the havoc they raise with their alarmist pronouncements.   EWH

[ZoeyJane0320]

Doc,

As a final comment to this thread can you give your opinion as to why reputable (albeit internet) sources would claim that vaginal yeast infections can be an "early" sign of HIV infection in women if you (recognized expert) have stated that HIV related yeast infections occur in patients who have been infected for several years (lets assume more than a few months) and are at moderately "advance" stage?  

[ZoeyJane0320]

One last quesiton out of curiosity.  In reaponse to "Further and FYI, when persons with HIV begin to have yeast infections, they typically have had HIV for years and are at a relatively advanced stage."

How is it that so many sources (including some credible named sources) on the internet claim that vaginal yeast infections can be, and I quote "an early sign of HIV" in women.  

Based on your response, that either seems unfouded or their definition of "early" is "several years" and are not being specific.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

GLad I could help. EWH

[ZoeyJane0320]

Thank you again.  This is a great service that you provide, especially (as you noted) due to all of the information that is readily available from the internet (credible sources) that potentially mislead people due to context, lack of detail, and or misinterpretation.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Correct. EWH

[ZoeyJane0320]

Good Day,

Thank you for responding to my question so quickly.  

So you are saying that even if a woman had been infected with HIV, if the infection took place recently (less than a year), a yeast infection she acquires would be a result of one of the other more "common" factors and not the HIV itself?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  My suspicion is that you are now a victim of the internet's ability to mislead.  While yeast infections can be a sign of HIV infection who have HIV, unless there are other reasons for concern, there is no reason for you to worry that you might have HIV because of a yeast infection.  Most women get occasional yeast infections and while there are a number of factors which have been associated with an increased tendency to get yeast infections (recent antibiotics, diabetes, other chronic illnesses including HIV), most people who get yeast infections do not have HIV or other predisposing conditions.  Just bad luck.  

Further and FYI, when persons with HIV begin to have yeast infections, they typically have had HIV for years and are at a relatively advanced stage.

If there are no other reasons to worry, I certainly would not worry that a yeast infection is a sign of recently acquired HIV.  I hope my comments are helpful.  I would also suggest you beware of information of this sort on the internet.  EWH