Question

The most common genital lesion in an HIV patient is:

• A. Chlamydia
• B. Herpes
• C. Syphilis
• D. Candida

Hint:

Failing cell mediated immunity makes recurrent genital herpes the commonest lesion.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: The question asks which genital lesion is most common in people with HIV. HIV impairs cell mediated immunity, which strongly favors reactivation and persistence of latent viral infections.
Step 2: Genital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus, which establishes lifelong latency in sacral ganglia. In HIV the weakened T cell response leads to frequent, severe and sometimes chronic ulcerative herpes, making it the commonest genital ulcerative lesion in these patients.
Step 3: There is also a two way link. Genital herpes ulcers break the mucosal barrier and increase the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV, and HIV in turn worsens herpes. This association makes herpes the typical genital lesion seen in HIV.
Step 4: Why the others are less correct. Chlamydia commonly causes urethritis and cervicitis rather than a classic visible lesion. Syphilis does cause genital ulcers and is more aggressive in HIV, but it is less common overall than recurrent herpes. Candida causes vulvovaginitis or balanitis, an infection rather than the classic ulcerative genital lesion emphasized here.
Conclusion: The most common genital lesion in HIV is herpes, option B.