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From: liz@ai.mit.edu (Liz A. Highleyman)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: AIDS and oral contraceptives
Message-ID: <1991Apr25.181650.6245@cs.ucla.edu>
Date: 25 Apr 91 16:39:16 GMT
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 > MALE-TO-FEMALE SEXUAL TRANSMISSION OF HIV

 > In Africa, HIV infection has been evenly distributed between
 > men and women. Male/female sexual intercourse has been the
 > main means of transmission of HIV. A recent study in the
 > Journal of Infectious Diseases affirms that the cofactors for
 > male-to-female transmission of HIV in Africa are the same as
 > those in Europe and North America... The authors point to the
 > presence of genital ulcers, to Chlamydia infection and to the
 > use of oral contraceptives. There do not appear to be
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 > cofactors unique to Africa.

I'm clueless.  I had not heard before that use of oral contraceptives
might be a cofactor in the development of HIV disease.  Do they just
mean `use of oral contraceptives *instead of condoms*' increases one's
risk, or is there some additional way in which the pill affects HIV
transmission?

-Liz