ABSTRACT
Attention has been drawn to the role of a biological factor in the high rates of HIV infection seen amongst young women. This chapter presents a biological mechanism whereby the cervix may be a target area for HIV infection during adolescence; as a result of infection by other sexually transmitted pathogens and; during and after pregnancy. Whilst the emphasis is on women of developing countries where HIV infection rates are highest, the mechanism is relevant to young women everywhere. During adolescence the cervix is more likely to comprise cells which are susceptible to infection by Chlamydia trachomatis, human papilloma virus, Neisseria gonorrhoea and HIV. In developing countries susceptibility to HIV transmission is amplified in young women whose puberty, including menarche, is delayed by poor nutrition and calorie wastage. The biological vulnerability of young women to HIV infection has implications for policy which promotes the health of adolescents.
