INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR MICROBICIDES
This groundbreaking discovery is really good news because according to the World Health Organization, approximately 36.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2014.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have developed a new vaginal ring found to modestly reduce the risk of HIV in women.
The Dapivirine ring is the first long-acting HIV prevention method designed for women instead of the situationally methods like a condom.
While the study’s findings are promising, the results from the study show that the ring wasn’t a total success.
The efficacy rate was 61 percent among women aged 25 and above while for women aged below 25, the rate was much lower at 10 percent.
The researchers believe the effectiveness of the ring with women over 25 was due the their consistency to use the product compared to younger women and replace the ring every four weeks, as instructed.
According to the New York times Times, the ring is inexpensive at only $5 and is about 2.5 inches in diameter. The ring can also stay in for four weeks at a time.
S.O.Z