Contraceptive Hormones, Immunity, and Microbiome Evaluation

This study is a translational research project to explore the mechanisms underlying the HIV risk associated with pharmacologic doses of exogenous sex hormones (via hormonal contraceptives). Emerging data suggests that certain hormonal contraceptives may induce mucosal and systemic immune changes that could increase the risk of infection with HIV. While several studies have aimed to characterize immunologic changes in women using hormonal contraceptives, the nature and the magnitude of these immune changes have not been adequately defined due to limitations in study design rigor, and small and statistically underpowered sample sizes. The study will prospectively recruit cohorts of HIV-uninfected women initiating hormonal contraception to characterize systemic and lower genital tract innate and adaptive immunologic changes that occur over a course of up to 4 months. This study will test the overarching hypothesis that hormonal contraceptives induce systemic and mucosal immune changes capable of altering susceptibilities and/or responses to diseases including HIV infection, and that these effects vary markedly in nature and magnitude by contraceptive type and will be modified by the vaginal microenvironment. The main aim is to determine the immunologic alterations in female genital and systemic immune profile associated with depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), Etonogestrel implant (Eng-Implant) and Levonorgestrel IUD (Lng-IUD).