Women's Interagency HIV Study
Encyclopedia
The Women's Interagency HIV
Study (WIHS) is a longitudinal, observational cohort study
of women infected with and at risk for HIV infection in the United States.
of HIV positive and HIV negative women being studied over a long term since 1994. This study is now over 13 years old as of 2007. An additional cohort of women were added in 2001 included some women who had taken HAART, the anti-HIV drug
regimen
. HIV
stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the retrovirus
considered by almost all scientists to be the cause of AIDS
, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HAART stands for Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy.
There is some evidence that women with HIV have more frequent conditions (or higher morbidity) of such infectious diseases as yeast infections, pelvic inflammatory disease
, and herpes. It is not known, for certain, whether HIV infection causes higher mortality
for these diseases, but this may be presumed.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
Study (WIHS) is a longitudinal, observational cohort study
Cohort study
A cohort study or panel study is a form of longitudinal study used in medicine, social science, actuarial science, and ecology. It is an analysis of risk factors and follows a group of people who do not have the disease, and uses correlations to determine the absolute risk of subject contraction...
of women infected with and at risk for HIV infection in the United States.
Funding
The WIHS is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) with supplemental funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Funding is also provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR).Clinical sites
WIHS clinical sites are located in and around 6 cities in the US: Bronx, NY; Brooklyn, NY; Washington, DC; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Chicago, IL. The data management and coordinating center is in Baltimore, MD. Each consortium is headed by a principal investigator, is affiliated with local research institutes to see study participants, and has its own Community Advisory Board.Recruitment
The study consist of a cohortCohort study
A cohort study or panel study is a form of longitudinal study used in medicine, social science, actuarial science, and ecology. It is an analysis of risk factors and follows a group of people who do not have the disease, and uses correlations to determine the absolute risk of subject contraction...
of HIV positive and HIV negative women being studied over a long term since 1994. This study is now over 13 years old as of 2007. An additional cohort of women were added in 2001 included some women who had taken HAART, the anti-HIV drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
regimen
Regimen
A regimen is a plan, a regulated course such as a diet, exercise or medical treatment, designed to give a positive result. A low-salt diet is a regimen. A course of penicillin is a regimen.- History :...
. HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the retrovirus
Retrovirus
A retrovirus is an RNA virus that is duplicated in a host cell using the reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome by an integrase enzyme. The virus thereafter replicates as part of the host cell's DNA...
considered by almost all scientists to be the cause of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HAART stands for Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy.
There is some evidence that women with HIV have more frequent conditions (or higher morbidity) of such infectious diseases as yeast infections, pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease is a generic term for inflammation of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries as it progresses to scar formation with adhesions to nearby tissues and organs. This may lead to infections. PID is a vague term and can refer to viral, fungal, parasitic, though most...
, and herpes. It is not known, for certain, whether HIV infection causes higher mortality
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
for these diseases, but this may be presumed.