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WHO said a study that last year linked the injectable contraceptive to the possible spread of the virus among discordant couples was inconclusive and could thus not be relied on to ban the contraceptives that are commonly used by millions of women around the world.
In a statement, WHO said a two-day technical consultation from January 31 to review findings from all recent population-based health studies on the issue concluded that there are no restrictions on the use of any hormonal contraceptive method for women living with HIV/Aids or at high risk of HIV.
However, WHO still advised that women who rely on injectable contraception should also use condoms to protect them against HIV infection.
The programmes director of Reproductive Health Uganda, Dr Peter Izenda, welcomed the news, saying it would give relief to many women in Uganda who have been using the contraceptive.
Cheap and convenient
He said Depo-Provera is the cheapest and most popular contraceptive in Uganda since it controls pregnancy for three months after it is administered.
The news will come as a big relief to millions of users, who had been worried over the finding. It will also be a welcome intervention for African governments, including Uganda, whose family planning efforts may have suffered a jolt if the cheaply available contraceptives would have remained unrestricted.
Publishing online, researchers at the Lancet Infectious Diseases led by Renee Heffron - basing on a study of nearly 3,800 HIV-1 sero-discordant couples from Uganda and six other African countries - on October 4 last year said women using hormonal contraception, primarily Depo Provera, had twice increased risk of acquiring HIV.
The findings caused consternation, especially among family planning experts. But the guidance says, “it is critically important that women at risk of HIV infection use condoms and, where appropriate, other measures to prevent and reduce their risk of HIV infection and sexually transmitted infections.”
In Uganda, at least seven per cent of those on family planning use the injection method. The majority, however, prefer pills (oral) and a small percentage uses condoms and other natural means like withdrawal or abstinence.
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SOURCE: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1335814/-/b06gaez/-/
