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A vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine helps prevent HIV-1 infection in women.

Monthly Vaginal Ring Helps Protect Women Against HIV

Results of two studies of the first long-acting HIV prevention method for women have shown that a vaginal ring, inserted monthly, reduced infections by 30% overall. This is the first time that two Phase III studies have confirmed significant efficiency for a microbicide to prevent HIV, according to the nonprofit International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), which developed the ring.

The Ring Study and ASPIRE, which were large Phase III clinical trials, showed that a vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine, helps prevent HIV-1 infection in women. IPM says it will seek regulatory approval to license the product.

The Ring Study, led by IPM, indicated that the dapivirine ring reduced HIV infection overall by 31%. The ASPIRE study, led by the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN), found that the dapivirine ring reduced infection by 27% overall. Both studies showed high efficacy in women older than age 21 (Ring Study) and age 25 (APIRE study). Little or no protections was seen in women ages 18-21 in both studies. IPM and MTM are working to understand what might have influenced the different levels of protection according to age.

The Ring Study enrolled 1,959 HIV-negative women ages 18-45 at seven sites across South African and Uganda. ASPIRE enrolled 2,626 HIV-negative women ages 18-45 in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

“These findings give new hope to many women at high risk who need more and different options to effectively protect themselves against HIV,” said Zeda Rosenberg, ScD, founding chief executive officer of IPM. (For more information on this topic, see the May issue of Contraceptive Technology Update.)