A new hope is seen in the process of discovering ways to prevent HIV infection when a new microbicide gel for women showed positive results. This gel is to be used by women while having sex. The CAPRISA (Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa) carried out a randomized controlled trial involving a tenofovir containing gel that was found helpful in reducing the HIV risks in women by 39% compared to a sham (or placebo) gel.

Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who works for the CAPRISA, addressed the International AIDS Conference held in Vienna and also published a paper in the journal ‘Science’ regarding this new improvised gel. According to his findings, most women who used the gel at 80% instances while having sex were found to be at risks lowered to 54%. This is encouraging when compared to other clinical trials like the one testing male circumcision’s effects. For male circumcision trial, the reduction in risk was noted to be 57%. Even an HIV vaccine candidate last year had reported only 32% reduction in risk.

This gel has been discovered after numerous failed attempts to obtain a vaginal gel which can help in blocking HIV. This gel can be of great benefit to those women who can’t insist for use of condoms. According to Abdool Karim, the shielding effect of the gel was marked not considering the sexual behavior, use of condom or herpes simplex virus.

According to executive director of AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, Mitchell Warren, this topical gel isn’t just an end of a search but is in fact ‘end of the beginning’. He agrees that the overall shielding effect may not be sufficient enough to obtain a license and put it to general use, but it surely proves that the idea of a microbicide gel can work.

Source:

abc News