Px Pulse

The ECHO trial (Evidence for Contraceptive options in HIV Outcomes) looked at three highly effective contraceptive methods to determine if one carried a higher risk of acquiring HIV compared to the others. Mixed data from previous observational studies had raised questions about one particularly popular method, known as DMPA-IM. The results of ECHO are due out in June, with stakeholders from both the field of HIV and sexual and reproductive health watching closely. In this episode of Px Pulse, AVAC spoke with two leaders from the ECHO trial team, Dr. Jared Baeten and Dr. Helen Rees, to understand what the trial can and cannot tell us. And you’ll hear leading women’s advocates from several countries where the ECHO trial took place share their demands. Take what you learn forward as the ECHO trial raises the volume on an urgent conversation — how to empower African women around their sexual and reproductive health.