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Hormonal Contraceptives do not Increase HIV Risk

December 7, 2006 - National Institutes of Health –

The use of hormonal contraceptives does not increase women's overall risk of becoming infected with HIV, according to the results of the largest study, initiated by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

It is known that hormonal contraceptives, such as oral pills or injections, do not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. However, there was no sufficient and comprehensive information on whether the use of hormonal contraception methods increases the risk of HIV infection or not.

Taking into account the rate of HIV spreading (about 18 million women have been infected with HIV during heterosexual relations worldwide), answering the question on the possible influence of hormonal contraceptives on HIV spreading is very important for proper understanding of contraceptive options by doctors and patients.

More than 6000 HIV-negative women at age 18 - 35 years old from African and Asian countries (Uganda, Zimbabwe and Thailand) participated in the study. The researchers decided to recruit women from these regions because it is in Africa and Asia, where the rate of HIV spreading is the highest. Another peculiarity of the study is that it was focused on observing women, seeking family planning services, (those, who resemble the vast majority of women, using hormonal contraception). High-risk women or sex workers were excluded from the study.

During the study the participants were offered to use either hormonal contraceptives or condoms. All the women were consulted on how to use these methods and how to reduce the risks of HIV infection. The participants were tested for HIV four to five times a year.

By the end of the study 213 African and 4 Thai women were infected with HIV. The researches explain the insignificant amount of HIV infected women in Thailand with the governmental efforts to control the spreading of the disease. It is said that the Thai government mandated the use of condoms in the country's brothels during the 1990s, thus reduced the spread of HIV infection significantly.

Detailed analysis of all cases of HIV infections showed no evidence that the use of hormonal contraceptives increased the women's chances of becoming infected with HIV. "There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of HIV acquisition between users of combined oral contraceptives or DMPA and women not using hormonal contraception," said one of the authors of the study.

Another interesting finding of the research refers to the potential correlation between HIV infection and genital herpes. The study showed that the use of hormonal contraceptives by women with herpes did not increase their HIV risk. On the other hand, women without genital herpes, who used hormonal contraception, were in greater risk of getting HIV infection in comparison to those women, who did not have herpes and did not receive hormonal contraceptives. However, the researchers called this finding “elusive” and said that additional research is necessary to explain this phenomenon.

Nick

External resources
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/dec2006/nichd-07.html