June 20 - With the rising death toll related to HIV on South Africa's
population, and the heavy price the country's economy and
insurance industry
pays, studies to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS are always welcome.
A South African led consortium of researchers will begin to undertake studies
in seven different centers in August, which could lead to a breakthrough in how
women protect themselves against the virus.
A clinical trial will be launched to test the efficacy of a gel that reduces
the woman's risk of getting HIV.
Previous trials have showed that the gel is 39% effective in protecting young
women, and the number of women who contracted Herpes HSV-2 was halved by using
the gel.
The new study will be an official confirmation of these trials.
Women Controlled Methods
It is becoming clearer over the years that the key to controlling HIV/AIDs is
held by South African women.
According to the director of the Centre for Aids Programme Research in South
Africa, Prof. Salim Abdool Karim: "The tools we have are mismatched for the
epidemic. We need women controlled methods."
Women, for example, may adopt a decision to be faithful to one partner, but
they cannot protect themselves if their partner is unfaithful and sleeps with
other infected women, especially if their partner doesn't use a condom.
As such, a gel that women can apply themselves is considered to be a powerful
tool in the fight against AIDS.
Since 2008, South African has made significant gains in reducing the number
of six week old infants infected with HIV from 8% to 3.5% through its Prevention
of Mother to Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) programme.
Women in their teens and early twenties are at highest risk to contract HIV,
according to medical circles.
If the gel proves to be successful, it will enable these young girls and
women to protect themselves and hopefully bring down the number of victims in
the coming years.
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