A recent large scale study has revealed that the most popular injectable contraception in southern Africa is leading to twice as many cases of HIV.

Published on Monday the research study found that women were twice as likely to become infected with HIV while men were also twice as likely to become infected compared to when they used no contraception at all.

According to the NY Times:

The findings potentially present an alarming quandary for women in Africa. Hundreds of thousands of them suffer injuries, bleeding, infections and even death in childbirth from unintended pregnancies. Finding affordable and convenient contraceptives is a pressing goal for international health authorities.

The study has found that injectable contraceptive drugs have biological properties that make both men and women more susceptible to H.I.V.

Speaking about injectable drugs Isobel Coleman, director of the women and foreign policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations said:

“The best contraception today is injectable hormonal contraception because you don’t need a doctor, it’s long-lasting, it enables women to control timing and spacing of birth without a lot of fuss and travel,” while adding, “If it is now proven that these contraceptions are helping spread the AIDS epidemic, we have a major health crisis on our hands.”

According to prescription numbers nearly 12 million women in Africa from the age of 15 to 49 use injectable hormone treatments, nearly 6 percent of all women in the country. In the United States 1.2 million women (3 percent of the population) use the treatments.

The study was led by researchers at the University of Washington and is fully published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and included 3,800 couples in Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia

According to the study:

The study found that women using hormonal contraception became infected at a rate of 6.61 per 100 person-years, compared with 3.78 for those not using that method. Transmission of H.I.V. to men occurred at a rate of 2.61 per 100 person-years for women using hormonal contraception compared with 1.51 for those who did not.

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African Contraception Leading To Two Times As Many HIV Cases is a post from: The Inquisitr

Teenagers and young adult between the ages of 15 and 24 recently answered a survey in 26 countries and if the numbers are correct an increasing number of kids are participating in unsafe sex.

Bayer commissioned the study which was backed by 11 NGOs and they found through 6,000 respondents that an increase in unprotected sex of 111% has occurred in France, while 39% more young people are forgoing condoms in the US and 19% more are leaving the protection at home in the UK.

The study also revealed some interesting facts about the cultural difference that may have contributed to the increase in numbers.

• Only half of  European schools provide sex education to students while three-quarters in the US, Asia Pacific and Latin America receive sex education.
• In Colombia children are very aware of contraception, on average they could name 7.1 types, in China, India and Singapore children could only name 2.8 types of contraception
• Egyptians thought 36% of the time that showering or taking a bath after sex prevents pregnancy.
• 50% of Chinese respondents said they are too embarrassed to talk about contraception with healthcare professionals.

A representative for International Planned Parenthood Federation tells Reuters:

“What young people are telling us is that they are not receiving enough sex education or the wrong type of information about sex and sexuality.”

Do you believe that based on these numbers that sex education should be an important part of a young teenagers curriculum in the classroom or should parents be stepping up to better educate their children about the dangers and consequences of unprotected sex?

Younger Generations Around The World Engaging In Unprotected Sex More Often [Study] is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a recent survey of 1,000 women aged 18 to 50 in England researchers found that some of the silliest myths about female contraception still remains. While ancient methods of crocodile dung and honey before sex competed with sea sponges and beeswax after sex modern day variations can appear just as strange.

When if comes to alternate barrier methods one if five women had heard of common kitchen items such as bread, cling film (Saran Wrap) and chicken skins being used. As far as oral contraceptives it seems that Coca-cola, kebabs and potato chips were high on the list.

Other myths surround the use of oral contraceptive pills. One in 10 of the women questioned believed that it always takes a number of years to regain fertility after discontinuation of the pill. Others believed that the pill could protect them against HIV.

Professor Steve Field, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, commented: "This is alarming but not surprising.

Source: BBC News – Contraception myths ‘widespread’

It’s so nice to see that we live in such an enlightened world.

Chicken skin remains as a contraception myth is a post from: The Inquisitr