Ladies, would you wear a vaginal ring that regularly releases an anti-HIV drug while inside you?
One group of researchers sure hopes so.
The experimental vaginal ring – which is flexible and made of silicone – is packed with dapivirine, an HIV prevention drug. Researchers provided the rings to more than 2,600 women ages 18 to 45 living in Uganda, Zimbabwe and Malawi, South Africa.
When used properly, the ring is inserted into the vagina and left there for a month. Then, it’s replaced with a new ring. Each ring contains a new dose of the anti-HIV drug.
After interviewing 214 of the participants, researchers found that the ring didn’t negatively affect the women’s physical sex lives.
But, some women did admit to worrying what would happen if their sexual partners found out about the ring by feeling it during intercourse. They wondered if their partner would…
…question them, according to NPR. So, some women took the ring out before intercourse and others didn’t participate in certain sexual positions.
“Condoms are problematic for women. When women demand use of a condom, they can be subject to partner violence or rejection of stigma, ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
So, if a man suspects that a woman is worried about him being infected, things could go badly for her.
However, Fauci finds that the vaginal rings could be easier than taking the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pill every day – and, easier to hide.
For those who used the vaginal ring during the ASPIRE study, the risk of infection dropped 27 percent, according to NPR. And for those who used the ring consistently, the risk dropped by about 75 percent.
Is this sort of vaginal ring something that you would use if available in the U.S.? Tell us your thoughts!
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