A vaginal gel has significantly cut the rate of women contracting HIV from infected partners in an experiment in South Africa.The gel containing Aids drug tenofovir and reduces infection rates among 889 women by 50% after one year of use, and by 39% after two and a half years.
If the results are confirmed it would be the first time that a microbicidal gel has been shown to be effective.Such a gel could be a defence for women whose partners refuse to wear condoms.New ways of curbing the spread of HIV are badly needed, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 60% of those infected with the virus are women.Many women are often forced to take part in unsafe sex, and are biologically more vulnerable to HIV infection than men, making a gel they apply an attractive option.Welcoming the results, UN agencies said they would convene an expert consultation in South Africa next month to discuss the next steps with the product.
Hope for women
It's the first time a microbicide gives positive that is statistically significant. The researchers say women who used the gel also showed a significant reduction in genital herpes, a common sexually transmitted infection, which itself increases the risk of HIV infection. The UN's HIV/Aids agency noted that nearly 20 years of research had gone into microbicides that can be controlled by a woman, independent of her partner.
This gives hope to women and for the first time ever there are results for a woman-initiated and controlled HIV prevention option.this microbicide would be a powerful option for the prevention revolution and help would help break the trajectory of the Aids epidemic.
Clinical trials are going to be carried out to cofirm results and once they have been shown to be safe and effective, WHO will work with countries and partners to accelerate access to these products.
Reference: BBC health
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