Although HIV is no longer a fatal disease, infections rates are still high. Women in particular suffer from greater HIV infections in recent years. Research indicates that women are at risk, at least in part, because their partners may be unwilling to use protection and keep them uninfected. Women may have little bargaining power with their male partners due to relationship dynamics or power disparities.
To give women more power over their own bodies, researchers at Northwestern University have developed an intravaginal ring that women can use to protect themselves from HIV. If their partner refuses to use a condom, women can insert the ring hours before sex with their partner never knowing about it. The ring releases an antriviral that stops any virus particles from being able to infect the woman.
The ring can be left within the body for 30 days. It contains the drug tenofovir, which is currently used as treatment for HIV-positive individuals. The drug is an antiviral, and researchers hope it can be used to stop HIV before it can infect a person. The ring itself is made out of a special material. The plastic-like material expands when it becomes wet, and this allows more of the drug to flow out of the ring into the body. Previous efforts to create a ring were unsuccessful because the ring’s material made it more difficult from the drug to get into the body, over time.
It may be a while before the rings are widely available for use. They have been tested in monkeys and proven 100 percent effective, but they have not been tested in humans yet. Next month, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine will begin a clinical trial in women over the course of two weeks. This first clinical trial will only assess the safety of the ring, but future trials will test its efficacy.
When (and if) they are available, it will be important for many different organizations to put their support behind their use to encourage women to take advantage of their protective capabilities. New methods of prevention are only useful if a significant portion of the at-risk population chooses to use them.
Use your own voice to advocate on behalf of women. HIV does not discriminate on the basis of gender or race, but one can only avoid infection if she is empowered to understand the risk factors and prevention methods, as well as having enough strength in her relationships to advocate on her own behalf.