HIV protection vaginal rings
HIV protection vaginal rings
A South African business is going to produce HIV-protective vaginal rings, which should eventually result in them being more affordable and widely accessible, according to specialists on the disease.
Kiara Health of Johannesburg will begin producing the silicone rings in the coming years, with the Population Council announcing on Thursday that a million might be made each year. The World Health Organization, as well as about a dozen other countries, have approved the devices, which release a medication that helps prevent HIV infections.
The rings are currently manufactured by a Swedish company, although the rights are owned by the nonprofit council. Donors have purchased almost 500,000 rings, which are currently freely available to women in Africa.
The benefit of the ring, according to UN AIDS agency spokeswoman Ben Phillips, is that it allows women to use it freely and without the knowledge or approval of others. “For women whose partners won’t use a condom or allow them to take oral (preventive HIV) medicines, this gives them another option,” he stated.
According to WHO statistics, HIV continues to be the primary cause of death among African women who are of reproductive age, with women accounting for 60% of new infections.
Apivirine is released from the ring gradually over the course of a month. Although it presently costs $12 to $16, experts predict that once it is produced extensively in Africa, the price will decrease.
Additionally, a version that lasts up to three months is being developed by developers, which should also reduce the annual cost. The World Health Organization has suggested that women who are at “substantial risk of HIV” use the ring as a supplementary strategy. Additionally, regulators in over a dozen African nations, including South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, have approved its usage.
In supporting its approval, WHO highlighted two large-scale studies that found the ring decreased women’s risk of HIV infection by around one-third, however additional research suggests the risk may be lowered by more than half. During the largest AIDS conference of the previous year, protestors charged the stage, urging attendees to purchase silicone rings for African women.
