Female drug can increase HIV risk

INJECTABLE birth control may raise HIV infection risk by 40% in women, according to research published recently in Endocrine Reviews.

In the review, researchers noted that the injectable progestin contraceptive DMPA is the major form of hormonal contraceptive used in sub-Saharan Africa, which also has the highest worldwide HIV prevalence, particularly in young women.

However, researchers also noted that DMPA may raise the risk for HIV infection by 40% in women.

Professor Janet Hapgood, lead author of the review from UCT’s department of molecular and cell biology, said that to protect individual and public health it was important to ensure women in areas with high rates of HIV infection have access to affordable and safe contraceptive options.

“The increased rate of HIV infection among women using DMPA contraceptive shots is likely due to multiple reasons, including decreases in immune function and the protective barrier function of the female genital tract. Studying the biology of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) helps us understand what may be driving the increased rate of HIV infection,” said Hapgood.

Increasing the availability of contraceptives that use a different form of progestin than the one found in DMPA could help reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

The researchers noted that the relative contribution of different mechanisms for MPA was unknown, with further investigation needed.