FP ECHO Trial Commentary

The long-awaited results of the Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (ECHO) trial, a rigorous, three-year clinical study designed to resolve if using Depo Provera (DMPA-IM) increases women and adolescent girls’ risk of HIV, are now available. Nearly 8,000 women from four eastern and southern African countries with high incidence of HIV ‒ Eswatini, Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia – participated in the study. The question of a link between Depo and HIV has persisted for more than 25 years; ECHO’s evidence proves otherwise.