RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, February 16, 2012 — Today the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it is adding a clarification to the medical eligibility criteria for the use of progestin-only injectable contraceptives. The clarification states that while this method is recommended for use without restriction, women at high risk of HIV who choose progestin-only injectable contraceptives to meet their family planning intentions should be strongly advised to also use condoms and other HIV-preventive measures.
This announcement follows an expert meeting convened by WHO during which participants reviewed existing evidence on whether the use of progestin-only injectable contraception influences a woman's likelihood of contracting HIV. "The bottom line is that the current evidence is limited and inconclusive," said Dr. Charles Morrison, Senior Director of Clinical Sciences at FHI 360 and a participant of the WHO review. "This issue remains an important, unanswered public health question. We must make it a priority to find more conclusive evidence."
"The WHO clarification is a starting point," commented Dr. Ward Cates, Distinguished Scientist and President Emeritus at FHI 360, who chaired a session at the WHO meeting. "In addition to providing women with better evidence on the safety of available contraceptives, we need to expand the method mix so they have more options, including highly effective long-acting contraception and multipurpose methods to prevent both sexually-transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies."
WHO News Release
WHO Technical Statement (PDF, 174 KB)
Question and Answer (PDF, 206 KB)
About FHI 360: FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in education, health, nutrition, economic development, civil society, environment, gender, youth, research and technology – creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries and all U.S. states and territories. For more information, please visit www.fhi360.org.
CONTACT:
Hannah Burris
202.464.8371
hburris@fhi360.org
