Women who get the Depo-Provera birth control shot may be more likely to get HIV than women who use other contraceptives — or even none at all — according to a new study.
University of California, San Francisco, researchers analyzed 12 studies of approximately 40,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa, where treatment for infectious diseases is scant. They found that women using Depo had a 40% higher risk of acquiring HIV than women using another method or no contraception.
Previous studies both have and haven’t linked Depo to an upped risk of infection. The theory as to why it may increase infection risk is because Depo comprises hormone combinations that might alter a woman’s genital tract, immune system or vaginal bacteria, which could change her likelihood of getting HIV.
Lauren Ralph, an epidemiologist at UCSF and leader of the new study, said that making Depo unavailable to women in sub-Saharan Africa may not be best, considering the fact that it has helped lower death rates and health problems in women around the world. She said if it were removed, women would need access to other birth control options that they would be comfortable using.
