No link seen between contraceptives and higher HIV risk: CDC

Reuters – 6 hrs ago ATLANTA (Reuters) - There is no clear link between the use of contraceptives such as the birth control pill or Depo-Provera shots and an increased risk that a woman will contract HIV, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

But the CDC also said it was "strongly" encouraging the use of condoms as a precaution against the virus that causes AIDS.

Recent studies have suggested that the use of hormonal contraceptives could increase the risk of women contracting HIV. But after reviewing the studies, the Atlanta-based CDC said, "the evidence does not suggest" a link between oral contraceptives such as the birth control pill and increased HIV risk.

For injectable forms of birth control such as Depo-Provera the evidence is inconclusive, but in the absence of more definitive research it too is considered safe, CDC officials said.

Women at risk for HIV infection or who already have the virus "can continue to use all hormonal contraceptive methods without restriction," the CDC said.

The World Health Organization reached a similar conclusion last February.

"It's hard to conclusively say whether or not there is an increased risk," from hormonal contraceptives, Dr. Naomi Tepper, a CDC medical officer, told Reuters.

"Because we can't say from the evidence that there is an increased risk, they are all still considered safe, including the injectables."

The studies are particularly confusing with women who use progesterone-only injectables, which in the United States is sold under the brand named Depo-Provera, Tepper said.

A study published last October in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal suggested that hormonal contraceptives, primarily the injectable forms, could double the risk of women contracting HIV.

For women who already have the disease, hormonal contraceptives could double the risk of transmitting the virus to a partner, according to the study. But Tepper said it was unclear why the contraceptives could increase risk of HIV infection.

The CDC said Thursday that all women at risk of contracting HIV and particularly those using the injectable forms of hormonal birth control, should make sure their partners use condoms as a safeguard against HIV infection.

"All women, if they don't want to become pregnant should be using an effective method of contraception," Tepper said. "And they also should be using something to protect against HIV or sexually-transmitted infections."

In 2010, 10,000 women in the United States were infected with HIV, the CDC said.

Pregnancy can also be medically risky for women with HIV and the disease can be transmitted to the unborn child, the CDC said.

(Editing by Tom Brown and Paul Simao)

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Government readies new contraceptives language

Reuters – Fri, Mar 16, 2012 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday is expected to propose official language laying out its plan to accommodate the moral concerns of religiously affiliated institutions that oppose birth control, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The announcement of a new "Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" would not alter President Barack Obama's adopted policy requiring access to free employer-sponsored health insurance coverage for women's contraceptives, the sources said.

But it is expected to outline proposed regulatory language and provide analysis for public comment covering religious institutions that self-insure and other aspects of the accommodation that the White House announced on February 10, according to the sources.

The administration last month adopted a new rule under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that requires employers to provide coverage with free birth control for women.

Churches and other places of worship are exempt. But the rule currently on the books applies to religiously affiliated hospitals, universities, charities and other institutions.

The policy set off a firestorm among Catholic authorities and other social conservatives, which Obama sought to quell by promising changes that would place the onus of paying for contraceptives coverage on insurers instead of religiously affiliated employers.

Administration officials have said for some time they expected to propose regulatory language articulating the president's compromise.

One source said the issue of self-insured religious institutions was one of the key questions that needed to be addressed.

Word of Friday's expected announcement followed weeks of behind-the-scenes meetings between administration officials and a range of stakeholders including Roman Catholic bishops, who oppose artificial contraception and want the current policy rescinded.

The announcement is likely to be followed by a period of public comment.

The administration's current policy does not come into force for religious employers until August 1, 2013.

(Additional reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Obama administration details contraceptives rule fix

Reuters – Fri, Mar 16, 2012 (Reuters) - The Obama administration began laying out its blueprint on Friday for accommodating the moral concerns of religious institutions that oppose its policy of requiring free coverage for women's contraceptives through employer-sponsored health plans.

The move came a month after the White House tried to calm a furor among Roman Catholic bishops and other social conservatives by announcing it would not require church-run hospitals, universities and charities to foot the bill for birth control coverage but instead shift the burden to insurers.

The administration released preliminary regulatory language for an eventual rule that addressed a number of issues, including a yet-to-be-solved problem of religious institutions that provide their own health insurance.

The action's bearing on birth control and religious freedom places it at the center of incendiary issues that have moved to the forefront of the election campaign for control of the White House and Congress.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has spearheaded opposition to Obama contraceptives policies, said it would examine the administration's new proposed language to see if it met its demands.

But conference spokeswoman Sister Mary Ann Walsh chided the administration for releasing the document late on a Friday as Catholic leaders prepared to observe St. Patrick's Day on Saturday.

The proposal provoked anger from some religious groups.

"This does nothing," said Michael O'Dea, executive director of the Christus Medicus Foundation, which promotes Christian healthcare. "It's bogus."

The Department of Health and Human Services' notice of rulemaking gave special emphasis to protections for self-insured religious institutions that have been a prime concern for Roman Catholic authorities.

"Our principle is that the religious employer who's self-insured will not be paying for this coverage, full stop," an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity told reporters in a conference call.

The notice calls for third-party administrators including insurers to handle contraceptive coverage for self-insured groups.

Costs would be covered through a range of options unrelated to the employer, including drug rebates, reinsurance credits and multistate insurance plans.

The public will have 90 days to comment on the notice.

SPLIT OPINION

A policy adopted last month requires that most employers provide free coverage for women's birth control under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Obama's signature healthcare overhaul.

Churches and other places of worship are exempt. But the rule now on the books applies to religiously affiliated hospitals, universities, charities and other institutions.

Friday's action won praise from women's health advocates and other Obama allies who saw it as reasonable effort to resolve differences with the Catholic clergy.

"The proposal released today make clears that the Obama administration is fulfilling its promise that women will have access to birth control coverage, with no costly co-pays and no additional hurdles, no matter where they work," Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said in a statement.

"In my estimation, this definitely moves things forward toward something the American bishops might be more willing to consider," said Stephen Schneck, a political scientist at The Catholic University of America, who advised Obama on how to reach out to the church.

Friday's announcement followed weeks of behind-the-scenes meetings between administration officials and stakeholders including Catholic bishops and insurance industry representatives.

There was no word on when proposed regulations might become final. The administration's current policy does not come into force for religious employers or educators until August 1, 2013.

(Additional reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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U.S. government readies new contraceptives language

Reuters – Sat, Mar 17, 2012 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday is expected to propose official language laying out its plan to accommodate the moral concerns of religiously affiliated institutions that oppose birth control, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The announcement of a new

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