Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Humanized NOG Mice for Intravaginal HIV Exposure and Treatment of HIV Infection
Published on: January 31, 2020
A combined oral contraceptive affects mucosal SHIV susceptibility factors in a pigtail macaque (Macaca nemestrina)
Sharon Dietz Ostergaard1, Katherine Butler, Jana M Ritter
1Animal Resources Branch, Division of Scientific Resources, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Background:
Injectable hormonal contraception may increase women's risk of HIV acquisition and can affect biological risk factors in animal models of HIV. We established, for the first time, a model to investigate whether combined oral contraceptives (COC) alter SHIV susceptibility in macaques.
Methods:
Seven pigtail macaques were administered a monophasic levonorgestrel (LNG)/ethinyl estradiol (EE) COC at 33% or 66% of the human dose for 60 days. Menstrual cycling, vaginal epithelial thickness, and other SHIV susceptibility factors were monitored for a mean of 18 weeks.
Results:
Mean vaginal epithelial thicknesses were 290.8 microm at baseline and 186.2 microm during COC (P = 0.0141, Mann-Whitney U-test). Vaginal pH decreased from 8.5 during treatment to 6.5 post-treatment (0.0176 two-tailed t-test). Measured microflora was unchanged.
Conclusions:
COC caused thinning of the vaginal epithelium and vaginal pH changes, which may increase SHIV susceptibility. 0.033 mg LNG + .0066 mg EE appeared effective in suppressing ovulation.
