Vaginal Cream Failed Reduce HIV Risk

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Irna Gustia - detikHealth

London, vaginal microbicides are made in the form of creams or gels failed to reduce the risk of HIV infection on women. PRO-Cream 2000 originally expected to reduce the risk of HIV in Africa.

Use of the cream has been tested in large scale of 9385 women in four African countries. This cream is used African women before having sexual relations with her husband.

From the results penggunannya, the risk of HIV infection of women who use the creams do not have significant differences with women given a placebo cream (without chemicals).

Originally expected microbicide cream can effectively limit the spread of HIV because the condom does not help reduce HIV infection.

With the failure of the benefits of this vaginal cream, it would require a new way to reduce the spread of HIV, especially in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly 60 percent of this infection are women.

Women in this region are often forced to have sex that is not secure, so more biologically susceptible to HIV infection than men.

Earlier, in trials conducted with small scale, find the PRO 2000 can reduce the risk of HIV to 30 percent. But in a large-scale trials in Africa do not even match the results expected.

A recent study conducted Microbicides Development Program found no benefit from the cooperation 16 African and European researchers or in other words, vaginal creams failed to find positive effects. Large-scale testing that was done was considered sufficient to conclude that the experiment had failed.

Head researcher Dr Sheena McCormack from the Medical Research Council which funded part of this research, admitted saddened by this outcome.

"But we know this is an important result and shows clearly the large-scale experiments conducted to prove definitively whether a product works," he said quoted by the BBC, Tuesday (15/12/2009).

Meanwhile, Professor Jonathan Weber of Imperial College London, who also took part of this research, said it was unfortunate this is not an effective microbicide to prevent HIV infection. But he said, is important for scientists to continue to seek new ways to prevent HIV.

"Now we know that microbicides are not the answer, we can concentrate on other, more care possible," he said. (Ir / ir)