To investigate the association between hormonal contraceptives and risk of HIV-1 seroconversion and prevalence of other sexually transmitted infections.
Design
Prospective cohort.
Methods
The study population was 2,236 HIV-negative women who were screened in a biomedical intervention trial in Durban, South Africa. The association between the use of hormonal contraceptives and risk of HIV-1 seroconversion was modeled using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections were assessed using logistic regression models.
Results
Hormonal injectables were the most common method of contraceptives (46.47%) followed by condom use (28.04%). Overall, compared with women who reported using condoms or other methods as their preferred form of contraceptive, those who reported using hormonal contraceptives (injectables and oral pills) were less likely to use condoms in their last sexual act. Using hormonal injectables during the study was significantly associated with increased risk for HIV-1 infection [adjusted hazard ratio 1.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-2.49, P = 0.005]; hormonal injectables were also significantly associated with higher prevalent of C. trachomatis infections (adjusted odds ratio 2.46, 95% CI 1.52-3.97, P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Hormonal injectables are highly effective and well tolerated family planning methods and have played an important role in reducing unplanned pregnancies and maternal and infant mortality. However, they do not protect against HIV-1 and other sexually transmitted infections. This study reinforces the importance of comprehensive contraceptive counseling to women about the importance of dual protection, such as male condoms and hormonal contraceptives use.
injectable hormonal contraceptive HIV seroconversion risk, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate HIV acquisition women, hormonal contraceptives sexually transmitted infections chlamydia, injectable contraceptive HIV risk prospective cohort South Africa, DMPA HIV susceptibility women Africa epidemiology, hormonal contraception condom use dual protection counseling, Wand Ramjee injectable contraceptive HIV STI risk, hormonal injectables Neisseria gonorrhoeae Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence, contraceptive method choice HIV acquisition hazard ratio, progestogen-only injectable contraceptive immune susceptibility STI
PMID 22156970 22156970 DOI 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32834f990f 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32834f990f Wand et al. 2012, Wand 2012
Cite this article
Wand, H., & Ramjee, G. (2012). The effects of injectable hormonal contraceptives on HIV seroconversion and on sexually transmitted infections. AIDS (London, England), 26(3), 375-380. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0b013e32834f990f
Wand H, Ramjee G. The effects of injectable hormonal contraceptives on HIV seroconversion and on sexually transmitted infections. AIDS. 2012;26(3):375-380. doi:10.1097/QAD.0b013e32834f990f
Wand, H., and G. Ramjee. "The effects of injectable hormonal contraceptives on HIV seroconversion and on sexually transmitted infections." AIDS (London, England), vol. 26, no. 3, 2012, pp. 375-380.
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to spread in Africa and Asia, use of the injectable contraceptive steroid DMPA is widespread and has been increasing. Since studies dating back to 1992 have suggested that DMPA may increase the transmission of HIV to women, we endeavored to determine if the extant epidemiological and biological evidence is sufficient to conclude that DMPA use constitutes a definite hazard to women's health. We searched Medline using the search terms: contraceptives or contraception AND HIV and searched bibliographies of articles thus identified. We included in the meta-analysis all studies examining the association between use of DMPA (or injectable contraceptives comprising mostly DMPA) and the presence (cross-sectional studies, n = 8) or acquisition (longitudinal studies, n = 16) of HIV+ status in women, using a random effects models to estimate odds ratios (ORs; cross-sectional studies) and hazard ratios (HRs; longitudinal studies). Studies were excluded if the comparison group included women using any form of steroidal contraception. Statistically significant positive associations between DMPA use and HIV positivity were observed both in cross-sectional (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.15 - 1.73) and longitudinal studies (HR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.28 - 1.73). The biological plausibility of increased vulnerability to HIV infection due to progestational action (via thinning of the vaginal epithelial barrier and immunosuppression) as well as glucocorticoid agonistic immunosuppression, are discussed. The epidemiological and biological evidence now make a compelling case that DMPA adds significantly to the risk of male-to-female HIV transmission.
To investigate whether the incidence of HIV infection is higher among sexually active women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) or noresthisterone enanthate (NET-EN) injections for contraception than among women using nonhormonal or no contraception. Five hundred and fifty-one initially HIV-negative women were followed up for a total of 491 person-years. Participants were interviewed, counselled, examined, tested for HIV and other STIs, and treated, at three monthly intervals for 1 year. There was no significant association between progestin contraceptive use and HIV infection (rate ratio 1.1, 95% CI 0.5 to 2.8; log-rank test, p=.73). In proportional hazards regression, the only significant hazard ratios for HIV acquisition were prevalent Neisseria gonorrhoea (5.2; 95% CI 1.1 to 23.7, p=.035) and Trichomonas vaginalis (4.8; 95% CI 1.0 to 22.8, p=.049); bacterial vaginosis was marginally significant (2.8; 95% CI 1.0 to 8.3, p=.057). The adjusted hazard ratios for NET-EN and DMPA were 1.76 (95% CI 0.64 to 4.84) and 0.46 (95% CI 0.06 to 3.79), respectively, relative to nonuse. Five hundred and twelve of 551 women had one or more confirmed STIs during the study. There is no evidence of an association between HIV infection and injectable contraceptives. Due to the limited power of this study and because similar studies have not included young women using NET-EN, we recommend that further research be carried out to focus on the use of NET-EN and HIV acquisition in high risk groups.
Guidelines by Clinical Area · Fertility and Infertility Guidelines
Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Electronic address: asrm@asrm.org, 2023·Fertility and sterility
Sexually transmitted infections are of major concern to reproductive specialists. Heading the list are human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 and hepatitis B and C viruses. These pathogens, which may cause incurable chronic infections, can be transmitted through assisted reproductive technologies and from infected mothers to the fetus or newborn. This document replaces the document of the same name, last published in 2020.
Tan-Kim J et al., 2023·American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
Vaginal estrogen is considered to be the standard of care for recurrent urinary tract infection prevention in women with hypoestrogenism. However, literature supporting its use is limited to small clinical trials with narrow generalizability. This study aimed to assess the association between vaginal estrogen prescription and the frequency of urinary tract infections over the following year in a diverse population of women with hypoestrogenism. Secondary objectives included evaluation of medication adherence and predictors of postprescription urinary tract infection. This multicenter retrospective review included women who were prescribed vaginal estrogen for the indication of recurrent urinary tract infection from January 2009 through December 2019. Recurrent urinary tract infection was defined as having ≥3 positive urine cultures (separated by at least 14 days) in the 12 months preceding the index vaginal estrogen prescription. Patients were asked to fill their prescriptions and continue care within Kaiser Permanente Southern California system for at least 1 year. Exclusion criteria included anatomic abnormalities, malignancy, or mesh erosion of the genitourinary tract. Data on demographics, medical comorbidities, and surgical history were collected. Adherence was captured through refill data after the index prescription. Low adherence was defined as no refills; moderate adherence was defined as 1 refill; high adherence was defined as ≥2 refills. Data were abstracted from the electronic medical record system using the pharmacy database and diagnosis codes. A paired t test was used to compare pre- and postprescription urinary tract infections over the year preceding and following the vaginal estrogen prescription. A multivariate negative binomial regression was used to evaluate predictors of postprescription urinary tract infection. The cohort included 5638 women with a mean (±standard deviation) age of 70.4 (±11.9) years, body mass index of 28.5 (±6.3) kg/m2, and baseline urinary tract infection frequency of 3.9 (±1.3). Most of the participants were White (59.9%) or Hispanic (29.7%) and postmenopausal (93.4%). The mean urinary tract infection frequency in the year following the index prescription decreased to 1.8 (P<.001) from 3.9 in the year preceding the prescription, which is a 51.9% reduction. During the 12 months after the index prescription, 55.3% of patients experienced ≤1 urinary tract infections, and 31.4% experienced no urinary tract infections. Significant predictors of postprescription urinary tract infection included age of 75 to 84 years (incident rate ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.46) and >85 years (1.41; 1.17-1.68), increased baseline urinary tract infection frequency (1.22; 1.19-1.24), urinary incontinence (1.14; 1.07-1.21), urinary retention (1.21; 1.10-1.33), diabetes mellitus (1.14; 1.07-1.21), and moderate (1.32; 1.23-1.42) or high medication adherence (1.33; 1.24-1.42). Patients with high medication adherence demonstrated more frequent postprescription urinary tract infections than patients with low adherence (2.2 vs 1.6; P<.0001). In this retrospective review of 5600 women with hypoestrogenism who were prescribed vaginal estrogen for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections, the frequency of urinary tract infection decreased by more than 50% in the following year. Baseline urinary tract infection frequency, increasing age, urinary incontinence or retention, and diabetes were associated with an increased risk of postprescription urinary tract infection. The paradoxical finding that women with moderate and high medication adherence experienced the lowest-magnitude reduction in urinary tract infection frequency may represent unobserved selection or unmeasured confounding.