HIV study in Top 10 Breakthroughs of the Year, magazine says

Science Magazine has named an anti-HIV microbicide study one of its Top 10 Breakthroughs of the Year.

Funded primarily by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the study examined the efficacy of a vaginal gel in preventing the spread of HIV among women.

The gel itself contained tenofovir, an antiviral that inhibits the action of the virus’s reverse transcriptase, which is a key protein in creating new viruses within a human cell. Given to nearly 900 women over a two and a half year period, the gel reduced the rate of infection by almost 40 percent.

USAID commissioned the study as part of a renewed focus on gender equality under President Barack Obama’s Global Health Care Initiative.

The study was one of two HIV-related medical trials to make the magazine’s list, the other being the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Initiative, which tested the ability of Truvada, an orally taken antiretroviral, to prevent the spread of HIV.

Among men who have sex with men, Truvada reduced the transmission of HIV by 44 percent.

Screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is an essential part of maintaining good sexual health. Individuals who worry that they have contracted HIV may consider looking into online testing services.