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July 2010

Trial of microbicide gel shows promise for HIV prevention among women

Results from an advanced clinical trial announced at the XVIII International AIDS conference in Vienna, Austria, showed a significant reduction in the risk of HIV infection among women who used an experimental microbicide gel that contained the antiretroviral drug tenofovir. The study also showed a significant reduction in the risk of genital herpes, a sexually transmitted infection that can increase the risk of HIV. The gel was found to be both safe and acceptable, reducing the risk of HIV infection by 39 percent and herpes simplex virus-2 infection by 51 percent.

The trial was supported by the US Agency for International Development and the Government of South Africa. “If this was implemented and women in the general population used it in the same way as we observed in the trial, it could avert 1.3 million infections over the next 20 years," said study co-author Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa. “We are giving hope to women. For the first time we have seen results for a woman-initiated and controlled HIV prevention option,” said Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS. He added, “If confirmed, a microbicide will be a powerful option for the prevention revolution and help us break the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic.” See the links below for more details.

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