Campbell Foundation awards grant to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - May 19, 2014 - PRLog -- During the last 30 years the face of HIV/AIDS has changed dramatically. Today, women now make up nearly half of the world’s population infected with the virus. And, many of them are of reproductive age. Because of this, providing a safe and effective means to prevent pregnancy and decrease mother-to-child transmission has become increasingly important.

In recognition of that need, The Campbell Foundation (http://www.campbellfoundation.net/)has awarded an $88,415 grant to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/) in Baltimore, Md. for a team of researchers to study whether the drug efavirenz, which is used to treat HIV, decreases the effects of etonogestrel contraceptive implants.

“This contraceptive implant is one of the most effective methods available to HIV positive women who are encouraged to use reliable contraceptives to prevent unplanned pregnancies and mother-to-child HIV transmission,” noted Campbell Foundation Program Officer Ken Rapkin. “If successful, the findings of this study will help to determine whether women with HIV who take efavirenz can safely rely on this implantable contraceptive, or whether they would need to chose another method. The Johns Hopkins team will glean valuable information regarding whether women infected with the HIV virus who are taking efavirenz can use Nexplanon and other contraceptive implants safely and effectively.”

The research team grant recipients are: Dr. Charles Flexner, professor of medicine, pharmacology and molecular sciences at Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Jennifer Robinson, an OB-GYN and family planning specialist; and Dr. Anne Burke, Associate Professor of OB-GYN.

According to the grant application, researchers plan to recruit 18 healthy HIV-negative women between the ages of 18 and 40 who are using implantable etonogestrel to determine whether the use of this highly effective reversible contraceptive method is a safe and viable option for HIV-infected women who don’t want to become pregnant.

The results of the study could lead to expanded use of the etonogestrel implant by women taking efavirenz if the implant's contraceptive effect is maintained, or it could suggest that other contraceptive methods be more suitable for these women.

This is an important issue given that efavirenz is one of the most widely used antiretroviral drugs worldwide, including by reproductive aged women. Preventing unintended pregnancies in women living with HIV is important for each woman's health as well as preventing perinatal HIV transmission.

The Campbell Foundation (http://www.campbellfoundation.net) was established in 1995 by the late Richard Campbell Zahn as a private, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting clinical, laboratory-based research into the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. It focuses its funding on supporting alternative, nontraditional avenues of research. In its 19th year, the Campbell Foundation has given away over $9 million dollars, with about $1 million going to direct services. For more information go to: www.campbellfoundation.net