AIDS Prevention Gel in the Works

In the fight against the AIDS epidemic, there are two types of prevention that pop into most minds when they think of ways to remain HIV-infection-free: abstinence (refraining from sex) and effective and consistent condom use. Other than these two methods, the public has not heard of many other strides taken that would add to a prevention package until today. In a landmark study, scientists are testing a gel that is made with an HIV drug that may one day be able to help women prevent infection.

In August 2008, Mexico City will be hosting the AIDS Conference. One of the conference’s main goals is to stand as an open forum for scientists and researchers to get together and share ideas, findings and new theories in the battle against AIDS. More than likely, this new research into the HIV gel will be one study many researchers are excited and talking about. Still in its early stages of research, scientists have created a gel that is made with a well-known HIV drug called tenofovir, also known as Viread. The early tests on this gel have been to determine whether the gel is both adequate and harmless to women who use it, which it has proven to be. As of now, there have not been any tests to determine if the gel actually prevents a woman from contracting the HIV infection.

The study spanned across approximately 200 American and Indian women who are both sexually active and HIV-negative. The findings were released in an AIDS conference being held in India. One of the lead researchers, Dr. Craig Hoesley who works at the University of Alabama in Birmingham says, “The gel is safe to use, and well tolerated by HIV-negative women. That’s a key message in our findings. This sets the stage for larger studies to see if tenofovir can prevent HIV infection.” Many researchers in the microbicide field are thrilled with the results, given that this field was seeing fewer and fewer promising leads in the fights against AIDS. Microbicides consist of any type of product that is used either anally or vaginally in order to help prevent infection from HIV.

These findings were great news considering two different microbicides (nonoxynol-9, a spermicide, and Ushercell) had previously been found to make infection more likely in women. The first of its kind gel made with tenofovir, on the other hand, has been found to be safe. The researchers, backed with funds made available by the National Institutes of Health, are quick to point out that these trials were conducted to ensure the gel was safe to use, not to test whether or not it would prevent HIV infection. Those trials will come at a later time.

As women make up almost 50% of those 33 million people currently infected with AIDS throughout the world, this type of research is extremely necessary. Studies will need to be conducted that show how long the gel’s tenofovir remains in the vaginal area. As an extra benefit of the gel, some women who tested it stated that it actually made sexual activities more satisfying. Most women who tested it also stated that they did not think of the gel as a hindrance and would definitely use it in the future if it was shown to prevent HIV infection.