On February 18, researchers announced that a trial of a new vaginal microbicide, Carraguard—the first microbicide to proceed to late-stage testing—has yielded disappointing results, The China Post reports (chinapost.com.tw, 2/18).
The trial, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, followed more than 9,000 South African female volunteers from March 2004 through March 2007. Of this group, around 27 percent were found to be HIV positive and were disqualified. The remaining women were either given Carraguard or a placebo gel.
By the end of the trial period, there were 134 new infections in the Carraguard group and 151 in the placebo group.
However, the article notes that most of the women in the trial used the microbicide only 44 percent of the time, which researchers say may have skewed the results.
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Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
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Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
