Hormonal Contraception Found To Raise HIV Risk in Women (October 4, 2011)

The Study

A study conducted in Africa concluded that the use of hormonal contraceptives dramatically increased the risk of women becoming infected with HIV. This new study was conducted on of 3790 heterosexual couples where one partner was HIV positive. It was found that the infection rate of women using hormonal contraceptives was twice that those using other methods of contraception.

The risk was increased in women using injectable or oral contraceptives but the increase from oral contraceptives was smaller. Further, it was found that HIV positive women at the start of the study who used injectable contraception were twice as likely to infect their partner. When researchers took into consideration other contributing factors such as whether a woman was pregnant, using multiple forms of contraception, and/or switching forms of contraception the findings of the study were still found to be valid.

The participants were from the African countries of Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe where HIV infection is an epidemic. If the finding of this study lead to the conclusion that promoting hormonal contraceptives in these areas was actually contributing to HIV infection rates it would be a major setback for the fight against HIV. Hormonal contraception is one of the most effective and widely used forms of birth control.

Hormonal Contraceptives

Hormonal contraception refers to the use of is steroid hormones that act on the endocrine system to prevent conception. Use of hormonal contraception makes up approximately 18% of the worlds contraceptive users and produces pregnancy rates of less than 1% per year. There are two common types of hormonal mixtures used to suppress ovulation in women: estrogen and progesterone and strictly progesterone. Currently there is much debate over the hormonal contraceptives and their long term affects on a woman's hormone levels. Further there is some concern that use of such contraceptives can cause cancer.

If you are concerned that you have been exposed to HIV, particularly if you are taking hormonal contraceptives you should get tested using with a laboratory HIV test. HIV testing is commonly performed as part of other STD testing such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis B & C, Herpes Simplex Virus (I/II), and Syphilis.

What Does This Study Mean?

It is important to note that the study was not originally intended to measure the effects of hormonal contraception on HIV infection rates. Additionally, the number of women participants in the study using hormonal contraceptives was small. Further study is required to validate these findings and to definitively determine if there is a link between hormonal contraceptive use and increased risk of HIV infection.