Vaginal Ring may help prevent HIV transmission, a study has revealed

HIV researchers have announced that a vaginal ring containing an antiretroviral (ARV) drug called dapivirine, helped protect against HIV in a large-scale trial involving more than 2,600 women in Africa. 

The results, announced on Monday at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston, US, revealed that the vaginal ring prevented about a third of HIV infections among the women who used it in the research. But for those older than 25 years, there was 61% reduction in HIV acquisition risk.

The study, ASPIRE, (A Study to Prevent Infection with a Ring for Extended Use) was carried out in Uganda, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

...from left, Dr. Flavia Matovu,

Dr. Flavia Matovu, a Cohort 4 CARTA fellow is the Principal Investigator for the ASPIRE Uganda site and has led the research in Uganda. 

Mr. Daniel Adero,  Communications Officer and  Policy Engagement and Communications, African Population and Health Research Center, reportrd that the study has attracted numerous media attention around the world. He itemised the following links as the stories coming out of this study thus:

 1. February 22, 2016 - U.S. News & World Report - Vaginal ring may help prevent HIV transmission - a news story on an HIV vaginal ring for HIV prevention among women. Dr. Flavia Matovu is the lead investigator for ASPIRE Uganda site.

 2.  February 22, 2016 - Agence France-Presse - Vaginal ring cuts HIV risk by nearly one-third - a news story on an HIV vaginal ring for HIV prevention among women. Dr. Flavia Matovu is the lead investigator for ASPIRE Uganda site

 3.  February 22, 2016 - NBCNews.com, by Jared Baeten, a news story on an HIV vaginal ring for HIV prevention among women. Dr. Flavia Matovu is the lead investigator for ASPIRE Uganda site: Vaginal ring protects women from HIV — when they use it

 4.     February 23, 2016 – New Vision Uganda - http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1417799/vaginal-ring-cuts-hiv-risk-nearly-studies - a news story on an HIV vaginal ring for HIV prevention among women. Dr. Flavia Matovu is the lead investigator for ASPIRE Uganda site

5. February 23, 2016 - CARTA Website - Vaginal ring protects women from HIV when they use it

The study was published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine Can be accessed here: www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1506110?query=featured_home

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Credit:
i) http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1417799/vaginal-ring-cuts-hiv-risk-nearly-studies#sthash.j6rgsSyP.dpuf 

ii) Some part of the article was culled from Mr Daniel Adero ( Communications Officer | Policy Engagement and Communications, African Population and Health Research Center, Inc.  A global center of excellence, consistently generating and delivering relevant scientific evidence for policy and action in Africa www.aphrc.org