Battling Women's Pneumonia Risk

U.S. urban women HIVers face one of the highest risks for bacterial pneumonia outside of developing countries, but the incidence rate can be cut through antiretroviral therapy and the use of preventive drugs, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. A total of 316 cases of bacterial pneumonia were reported over the course of 4.2 years among 885 HIV-positive women, a rate more than 12 times higher than among the HIV-negative women. The research, conducted in the 1990s, also showed that women taking three-drug regimens reduced their pneumonia risk by 8% for each month of treatment.