HIV - If you hate it then you should have put a ring on it.

The International Partnership for Microbicides recently announced the start of a trial designed to see if a vaginal ring containing the antiviral drug dapivirine could be effective in preventing heterosexual transmission of HIV. The ring, which would be inserted once a month and left in place, would work on a similar theory to other types of pre-exposure prophylaxis. The difference would be that, instead of getting systemic exposure to a drug, the highest doses would be found vaginally - where the medication is most needed.

What's the advantage of using a ring over taking a pill? Well, since there's no data yet on how much of the drug ends up in the bloodstream, there's no way to say if it will improve the potential for side effects. However, there is still one obvious, and extremely important, benefit. Unlike a PreP pill - which would need to be taken either daily or before sex, the vaginal ring could just be put in once a month and forgotten about. Just like the contraceptive ring it's adapted from, this makes it much less likely for a woman to forget to use her protection, and it should consequently make it far more effective. One of the earlier studies of PreP in women found the major reason it was ineffective was that women were forgetting to take their drugs.

I definitely look forward to seeing the results of the study. Delivering antivirals through a long-lasting vaginal ring is a great idea, and I'm thrilled that it's being explored.

• HIV 101
• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

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Source: http://std.about.com/b/2012/06/25/hiv-if-you-hate-it-then-you-should-have-put-a-ring-on-it.htm

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