HIV RISK
SOME CONTRACEPTIVES INCREASE THE RISK OF HIV INFECTION, ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
Hormonal methods of preventing pregnancy are some of the most effective, but new research indicates they may increase the rate of HIV infection. Jean Anderson, an HIV and women's health expert at Johns Hopkins, says while this may be true, worldwide, other considerations also need attention.
ANDERSON: Particularly if you're looking in low resource areas, where HIV is more common, maternal mortality is also quite high, birth rates are quite high, and unintended pregnancy rates are quite high. So you need to take this in perspective of all of these things. Our message should still be that condoms are the primary means of prevention. I don't think that people should go off the deep end and say you shouldn't be prescribing hormonal contraception to women. :32
At Johns Hopkins, I'm Elizabeth Tracey.
