AEGiS-14IAC: Description of the initial characteristics of an HIV-infected female cohort to determine the effects of hormonal contraceptives on the natural history of HIV-disease.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Description of the initial characteristics of an HIV-infected female cohort to determine the effects of hormonal contraceptives on the natural history of HIV-disease.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. C10670)

Mwachari C, Nduba VN, Omondi C, Cohen CR
Kenya Medical Research Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

BACKGROUND: As part of the World Health Organization multi-country investigation of the effect of hormonal contraceptives on the natural history of HIV-disease a cohort of young HIV-infected women was initiated in Nairobi, Kenya.

METHODS: HIV-1 infected women with a CD4 T-cell count ≥ 500/ é l, aged 18-35 have been recruited and will be followed using clinical and laboratory measurements every six months over a five year period.

RESULTS: To date, 172 women including 148 (86%) using hormonal contraceptives [50 (29%) oral contraceptives, 97 (56%) Depoprovera é «, 1 (0.6%) Norplant é «] and 24 (14%) using non-hormonal methods have been recruited. Subjects using hormonal methods of contraception were similar to subjects using non-hormonal methods in terms of age (24.4 ± 3.4 vs. 25.7 ± 4.9, p=.22) and average parity (2.2 ± 1.2 vs. 2.5 ± 1.7, p=.49), but tended to have a higher initial median CD4 T-cell count (722/ é l (503-2189) vs. 617/ é l (501-1689), p=.06) and were more likely to be married (127/148 (86%) vs. 11/24 (46%), p < .001). At the initial visit none of the participants had signs or symptoms associated with immunosuppression.

CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to women using non-hormonal methods of contraception, hormonal contraceptive users were more likely to be married and tended to have a higher median CD4 T-cell count at recruitment. These factors will need to be adjusted for to accurately assess differences in natural history of HIV-disease that may be attributed to the effect of hormonal contraception.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, HIV Seropositivity, HIV-1, Natural History, Research, Contraceptives, Oral, Kenya, Human, Female, Epidemiology, methodsKWDaegis,hivinfections,cd4lymphocytecount,hivseropositivity,hiv-1,naturalhistory,research,contraceptives,oral,kenya,human,female,epidemiology,methods

020707
C10670

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.