On April 9, the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases and the private nonprofit Family Health International jointly released preliminary findings from a clinical trial conducted in Cameroon to test the effectiveness of nonoxynol-9 (N-9) in preventing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. N-9 is the active ingredient in many spermicidal preparations, and has been shown--in test tubes--to destroy HIV. However, to date, human tests of N-9--including this most recent study--have not borne out its early promise.
The Cameroon study was undertaken largely in response to increasing pressure on the research community to develop a microbicide, defined as a substance that can be used by women that will protect them against both bacterial infections and viruses, including HIV. Half of the sex workers who participated in the study were counseled to use vaginal film containing N-9 and condoms; the other half used condoms and a placebo. After two years, however, the study found the HIV transmission rate for both groups was virtually identical. While the surety of the results is tempered in part by the workers' consistent condom use, at least for now, the question of whether N-9 use lowers STD transmission appears to be no. -- LK
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