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Despite ongoing efforts to curtail the global HIV epidemic, considerable numbers of women are living with HIV/AIDS. Efavirenz, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor recommended for treating adolescents and adults with HIV disease, has been classified by the FDA as category D; thus, pregnancy prevention is critical in women who receive this agent. However, possible interactions with combination oral contraceptives (OCs) have not been characterized fully. In an open-label pharmacokinetic study funded by the manufacturer of efavirenz, investigators assessed changes in blood levels of ethinyl estradiol (EE) and the active metabolites of progestin in 19 healthy HIV-negative women (median age, 26) who received efavirenz (600 mg daily) …