Hormonal contraceptives appear to make women in Africa twice as likely to contract HIV

They also increase the chances of male partners becoming infected, according to a study by researchers from the University of Washington and Seattle. Their results came from tracking 3,790 couples for 18 months in Kenya, Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In most instances the women taking part were using DMPA – Depo-Provera, which is a popular injectable contraception in sub-Saharan Africa. Either the man or woman in each couple had HIV - the AIDS-causing virus. The researchers noted which used contraceptives, which didn’t and the rates at which the other member of the couple became HIV-positive. Their results show that women who used hormone-based contraceptive injections were twice as likely to contract and subsequently transmit HIV, as those who didn’t. The researchers suspect that the contraceptive is altering vaginal tissue in a way that’s increasing the possibility of HIV transmission. Around 6% of all women between 15 and 49 in sub-Saharan Africa rely on it – that’s a headcount of around 12 million.