Programmatic and research considerations for hormonal contraception for women at risk of HIV and women living with HIV
Policy Implications
Between 31 January and 2 February 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a meeting of experts to discuss recent research on use of hormonal contraception by women at high risk of HIV and those currently living with HIV and its implications. The Technical Consultation brought together 75 participants from 18 countries; 18 agencies were represented. The multidisciplinary group comprised experts in international family planning and HIV, including clinicians, epidemiologists, researchers, programme managers, policy-makers, guideline methodologists, reproductive biologists and pharmacologists, HIV advocates, and women’s health advocates.
The purpose of the meeting was to review all available published evidence on the relationship between the use of hormonal contraceptives and the risk of HIV acquisition, HIV disease progression, and HIV transmission to uninfected partners, and to determine whether any change in the WHO recommendations on hormonal contraceptive use by women at high risk of, or living with, HIV-infection was needed.