Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Nov;39(11):1053-1072.
doi: 10.1007/s40264-016-0452-7.

Drug-Drug Interactions, Effectiveness, and Safety of Hormonal Contraceptives in Women Living with HIV

Kimberly K Scarsi  1 , Kristin M Darin  2 , Catherine A Chappell  3 , Stephanie M Nitz  4 , Mohammed Lamorde  5
Affiliations
Review

Drug-Drug Interactions, Effectiveness, and Safety of Hormonal Contraceptives in Women Living with HIV

Kimberly K Scarsi et al. Drug Saf. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Family planning options, including hormonal contraceptives, are essential for improving reproductive health among the more than 17 million women living with HIV worldwide. For these women, prevention of unintended pregnancy decreases maternal and child mortality, as well as reduces the risk of perinatal HIV transmission. Similarly, treatment of HIV with antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential for reducing morbidity and mortality among HIV-positive individuals, as well as preventing HIV transmission between sexual partners or from mother to child. Importantly, despite the benefits of hormonal contraceptives, barriers to effective family planning methods exist for HIV-positive women. Specifically, drug-drug interactions can occur between some antiretroviral medications and some hormonal contraceptives, which may influence both contraceptive efficacy and tolerability. In addition, safety concerns have been raised about the impact of hormonal contraceptives on HIV disease progression, tolerability, and the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission. This review article summarizes the potential for drug-drug interactions, tolerability, and contraceptive effectiveness when hormonal contraceptives are combined with ART. In addition, the evidence surrounding the influence of hormonal contraceptives on HIV transmission and HIV disease progression in women living with HIV are summarized.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Kimberly Scarsi, Kristin Darin, Catherine Chappell, Stephanie Nitz, and Mohammed Lamorde have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to this content.

References

    1. Walensky RP, Paltiel AD, Losina E, Mercincavage LM, Schackman BR, Sax PE, et al. The survival benefits of AIDS treatment in the United States. The Journal of infectious diseases. 2006;194(1):11–9. doi: 10.1086/505147. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents. Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1-infected adults and adolescents. Department of Health and Human Services; http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ContentFiles/AdultandAdolescentGL.pdf. Accessed 22 Jul 16.
    1. World Health Organization. Guideline on when to start antiretroviral therapy and on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. Geneva: World Health Organization; Sep, 2015. - PubMed
    1. Panel on Treatment of HIV-Infected Pregnant Women and Prevention of Perinatal Transmission. Recommendations for Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant HIV-1-Infected Women for Maternal Health and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States. http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/lvguidelines/PerinatalGL.pdf. Accessed 2 May 2016. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Global summary of the AIDS epidemic. 2014 Dec; http://www.who.int/hiv/data/epi_core_july2015.png?ua=1. Accessed 14 Sept 2015.

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances