Does Hormonal Contraception Accelerate HIV Progression?

Use of either DMPA or OCPs was associated with hastened unfavorable disease outcomes.

Access to safe and effective contraception is particularly important for HIV-infected women, both for maintaining health and for preventing perinatal transmission. In a previous trial, conducted in Zambia, investigators randomized 595 HIV-infected women who were not receiving antiretroviral therapy to copper intrauterine devices or hormonal contraception (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate [DMPA] or oral contraceptive pills [OCPs]). Unexpectedly, hormonal contraception was associated with faster rates of HIV disease progression. Now, the investigators report a secondary analysis that was designed to determine whether this effect on disease progression differed by type of hormonal contraception.

Among women who were allocated to hormonal contr…

Reviewing Author

Anna Wald, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAicuris; Bayer; GSK; Innovative Molecules; Merck; MAPP Biopharmaceutical (Safety Monitoring Committee)

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; GSK; Moderna; Assembly Biomedical; Aicuris

Editorial BoardsSexually Transmitted Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Infections; Journal of Infectious Diseases

Leadership PositionsID Division Chiefs Community of Practice (At-Large Member)