The commercial breaks while watching daily soaps creates awareness among us on various products in market. Ads on contraceptives are one of them. An ad on a condom brand or on OC pills is not unusual. By now, the awareness on contraceptives have spread to the common masses through various mediums like posters, TV commercials, radio ads, workshops, etc. But even after knowing much about contraceptive methods, why the HIV spread is not under control? How are more and more people still getting infected? Are people using contraceptives or not? Or are people still reluctant to use them? Read on to solve your doubts.

What Is Contraception?

Contraception methods are preventive methods to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies, which includes all temporary and permanent measures to prevent pregnancy resulting from coitus (intercourse).

What Are The Types Of Contraceptives Used?

The contraceptives can be classified as spacing methods and terminal methods.

A. Spacing methods - are temporary methods used to prevent unwanted pregnancy

• Physical methods – Condoms, Diaphragm, Vaginal Sponge


• Chemical methods – Foams, Creams, Jellies, Suppositories


• Combined methods – A combination of physical and chemical method like Condoms lubricated with spermicides


• Intrauterine devices (IUDs) – Lippes loop, Copper-T, etc.


• Hormonal methods – Oral Contraceptive Pills (OC Pills), Male Pills, Injectables like DMPA, NET-EN, Subdermal Implants and Vaginal Rings


• Miscellaneous – Abstinence, Coitus Interruptus, Safe Period/Rhythm Method etc.

B. Terminal methods - are permanent methods to prevent pregnancy

• Male sterilization - Vasectomy


• Female sterilization - Tubectomy

The Right Choice Of Contraceptive For HIV Control…

The above mentioned are the various methods of contraception. But just using any contraceptive will not save you from HIV infection. Just being on OC pills or using a Copper-T will prevent you from unwanted pregnancy but not from HIV infection. Therefore, using the right contraceptive is important.

Latex condoms are very helpful in saving the spread of HIV infection when used consistently and correctly. Male condoms (worn on penis) or female condoms (can be placed in vagina or rectum) both can save spread of HIV to a huge extent from any sexual contact – vaginal, anal or oral. Condom will not just save one from HIV infection but also from other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs like gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, chancroid, etc). A condom acts as a barrier or wall to keep blood, or semen, or vaginal fluids from passing from one person to the other during an intercourse. These fluids are known to harbour germs such as HIV. If no condom is used, then the germs can pass from the infected partner to the uninfected partner.

HIV Control Where Both The Partners Are HIV Positive…

In cases where both the partners are HIV positive, then the use of condom will prevent the possible super-infection/re-infection with HIV that may be drug resistant. When both the partners are HIV positive, the severity of infection may differ in both of them depending on their individual immunity levels and the type of anti-HIV therapy taken.

The risk of re-infection between HIV-positive couples is likely to relate to their viral loads. By having unsafe sex, you can infect your partner again if you are taking anti-HIV therapies, which you've become resistant to, and then you pass the drug-resistant strain of HIV to your partner. The risk increases if one partner is doing well on treatment while the other partner is untreated and/or has a high viral load. And the he risk is graver if one partner is resistant to HIV treatment. This will make HIV treatment more difficult. Therefore, make sure to use a condom every time you have sex.

HIV Control In Serodiscordant Relationship…

A relationship where one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative is called serodiscordant relationship.

• For couples where one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative then it is not wise for couples to have unsafe sex anytime


• In case where the woman is HIV negative, then the chance of getting HIV-positive from having unprotected sex will depend on many things, which includes the viral load in the semen of her male partner


• In case where the male partner is HIV negative, then HIV transmission risk depends on the level of viral load in the genital fluids of his female partner

As per the studies, an uncircumcised man is likely to be more at risk of contracting HIV as the foreskin is not removed. The cells in the foreskin are more vulnerable to infection and having intercourse with an uncircumcised HIV-positive man is a greater risk to an HIV-negative woman than intercourse with a circumcised man.

HIV Control From HIV Positive Mother To Child…

Contraception has an essential role to play in sexually active HIV infected women, who wish to avoid pregnancy, and thus, prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. But in women who suffer from HIV, there may some effects a few of the contraceptives used to avoid pregnancies may produce like…

• There is no evidence that the IUCD is any less effective as a means of contraception in HIV-positive women, but it may raise the risk of anemia or pelvic inflammatory disease that disproportionately affect women with HIV


• Protease inhibitors (medication for HIV) reduce blood levels of the estrogen component in oral contraceptive pills, so women taking both the oral contraceptive pills and protease inhibitors may need to use back-up methods of contraception


• Depo provera and Norplant may also be affected by interactions with protease inhibitors
• A number of other medications like some antibiotics may interact with oral contraceptives. So, your doctor’s advice on drug interactions is important before considering OC pills as a method of contraception

Always Remember…

• Any infection of the genital tract like chlamydia, genital herpes, etc, also raises the risk of sexual transmission of HIV


• For males, an undetectable viral load result from a blood test does not mean that viral load is undetectable in seminal fluid


• For females also, an undetectable viral load in blood does not always mean that the viral load is undetectable in genital fluid


• Always use a new condom for each act of intercourse
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• The condoms should be made of latex (rubber) and not of natural (lambskin) condoms as studies do not support the natural condom’s role in prevention of HIV transmission


• Use the condom after the penis is erect (hard) and before any contact is made between the penis and any part of the partner's body


• Check for the manufacturing and expiration date when purchasing condoms. Condoms are not to be purchased or used after expiration date


• Never use lubricants containing oils, fats or greases like petroleum based jellies, baby oils, lotions, cold creams, etc, as they can weaken latex and may cause condom to tear


• If an HIV positive woman also wants to use other contraceptive methods besides condom to avoid unwanted pregnancy, then she should consult a doctor to decide which will suit her the best


• Think twice before intake of drugs and alcohol as they can affect your judgement and you may forget to use a condom. Also, they may even affect your ability to use a condom properly

Most experts believe that the risk of acquiring HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases can be greatly reduced if a condom is used properly. But there is no absolute guarantee even when you use a condom. Sex with condoms is not entirely safe sex, but it is less risky sex. Always bear in mind that your one wrong step can put your entire life in jeopardy. So, think twice before taking any drastic step in desperation.