New Vaginal Gel Prevents HIV Transmission

[Michie]

Vaginal gel shows effectiveness in preventing HIV in women

A vaginal microbicide can cut HIV infection rates by 39 percent in women, researchers announced Monday. And female study participants who inserted the gel as directed reduced their chances of contracting HIV by more than half (54 percent). The news is a stunning, positive development— especially for women at risk for sexual transmission—in a field that has been plagued by two decades of failed and aborted trials.

A reliable HIV-prevention method for women has thus far proved hard to come by, leaving many millions of at-risk women subject to their partner's decision about condoms.

But a gel that can be applied discretely could severely cut back on HIV, a disease that currently infects an estimated 33 million people worldwide. Researchers involved in the new study calculated that if about a third of women in South Africa could use this gel, in the next 20 years, 1.3 million HIV infections—and 820,000 HIV-related deaths—could be prevented in that country alone.

Continued- http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=vaginal-gel-shows-effectiveness-in-2010-07-19&sc=HLTH_20100720

 

[Romans 13:3]

This is great news. But the best part is that it is the first step in proactive prevention. I am sure some here will say all the women have to do is not have sex with an infected person. But this is not a real alternative in some parts of Africa.

 

[Michie]

This is great news. But the best part is that it is the first step in proactive prevention. I am sure some here will say all the women have to do is not have sex with an infected person. But this is not a real alternative in some parts of Africa.

True.

I'l be glad when they find a cure for this wretched disease.