August 23, 2004

Reading between the lines of sexual health studies

Here is an article in USA Today about a new study that declares that use of Depo Provera triples the risk of a woman’s infection with chlamydia and gonorrhea.

It also says that Depo Provera is most popular with younger women - ostensibly because there is no pill for mom to find, and because its hard to remember to take a pill everyday. The benefit from the health care provider’s side is that this creates a contact with the woman every three months when she gets her shot.

The problem is that its very likely for a woman (especially a young woman) on a hormonal birth control to use only the hormonal birth control and not use a barrier method like a male or female condom, because the birth control part is covered. Of course, this leads to infection with various sexually transmitted infections.

So the question is: is it directly depo’s fault that its users are three times more likely to get a STI? Is there a link with the drug or is the link with the type of user - young women who are less likely to request use of a condom in addition to hormonal birth control, especially with a presumably monogamous partner. Its a dilemma. I’d like to see more studies. I guess the core problem is that its difficult to do a good sexual health study, what with the notorious flaws of sexual self-reporting.