Microbicides Offer Women Independent Protection From HIV Infection

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Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Sexual Health / STDs;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 24 Apr 2006 - 6:00 PDT

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Microbicides may offer women, whose partners refuse to wear condoms, protection from HIV infection, according to speakers at Microbicides 2006, a conference in Cape Town, South Africa, which began yesterday. Over 1,000 researchers who are attending the conference say more research is needed on vaginal microbicides for protection against HIV.

Researchers say that microbicides are effective for primary prevention of HIV, especially for women who are unable to get their partners to use a condom. The majority of HIV positive young people in Africa are women, 76%. Many are becoming infected because their HIV positive partners are infecting them.

What are Microbicides?

Microbicides are a range of different products that can prevent sexual transmission of HIV and other STDs. Microbicides can be presented in the form of a gel, cream, suppository, film, sponge or a rink.

Microbicides are not yet available to the public. 60 new microbicide products are being researched at the moment, of which 11 have proved effective and safe in animal studies. These eleven are being tested on humans. If the human trials go well, and enough funding is available, there may be a new product available to the public within the next five to seven years.

Why Would Microbicides be so useful?

Many women today do not benefit from current methods of STD treatment. Quite simply, they do not have the support of their sex partners to wear condoms. For a large number of women it is extremely difficult to leave their uncooperative partners. If a woman had access to a microbicide, in the form of a gel, for example, she would be able to protect herself without needing the cooperation from the man. An STD prevention method would be solely in her hands.

What is needed to get these microbicides onto the market

Microbicide research funding must come from the public sector or philanthropic organisations or individuals. The private sector does not see this are as economically viable.

Access must be immediate and affordable

Too many new drugs have not become accessible to needy people in the developing world until ten years after their approval in the developed world. If this drug is to be funded publicly, it is important that access in the developing world happens as soon as approval takes place.

Women in the developed world have more cooperation from their sex partners than in most parts of the developing world. If the majority of women who would benefit from a new microbicide drug come from developing countries, it would be a tragedy to get a new, publicly funded drug onto the market and delay access to them.

Click here for more information on microbicides.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today