There is no clear link between using contraceptives such as injectable or pill forms of birth control and an increased risk that a woman will contract HIV, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reported by Reuters. Recent studies suggested hormonal contraceptives increase a woman’s risk for HIV, but after review, the CDC says the evidence does not imply a connection. Injectable forms of birth control such as Depo-Provera (a shot usually given every three months to prevent pregnancy) displayed inconclusive evidence for HIV risk, according to the CDC. This contradicts an October 2011 study in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal that suggested hormonal contraceptives, primarily the injectable forms, could double the risk of women contracting HIV and that for women who are already living with HIV, hormonal contraceptives could double the risk of transmitting it to a partner. The CDC also strongly encouraged the use of condoms.

To read the Reuters article, click here.