This may be BIG news ...

[WCSDancer2010]

Tho the original post says HIV .... but once you start reading it includes HSV and HPV

 

I would want to know what the chemical/substance is in it and see the studies as far as long term effects, but it certainly looks hopeful. Anyone going to Australia soon? :)

 

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/hiv-killing-condom-approved-australia

[WCSDancer2010]

The VivaGel that is used in it is supposedly in trials here in the USA to treat Bacterial Vaginosis ... in which case perhaps it could be used in conjunction with condoms in the future so that areas not covered by a condom would get some "coverage" by the gel as well. We can hope!

 

This is the first thing I've seen that I feel is worth getting our hopes up for. It's not a cure, but it IS a good first step .... next issue is to get people to use them!

[Unbroken]

Wow, that is huge. Thanks for the info.

[kaybee]

So it's basically lube that helps prevent the spread of disease? So another way for us to protect hsv negative partners and decrease the stigma, awesome :)

[whitedaisies]

I still don't get how this works? If we are shedding in areas other than the exact genital area, how does this help?

 

We can shed anywhere in boxer short region.....

 

Sorry, I am ignorant on this one...I don't know how it works.

[Guest]

If you read more about it it says you can apply the gel to affected areas daily for seven days in order to achieve the neutralizing effect. Not sure how accurate that is, but this is a step in the right direction. In other news, Admedus has "increased their interest" in Ian Frazer's vaccine candidate and has upgraded their language regarding the Phase 1 results from 'encouraging' to 'extremely positive.' Take that for what it's worth. They start Phase 2 in Australia by the end of this calendar year. If this is effective (it has been more effective than any other vaccine in identical animal models) in humans then it could potentially be available in the next 4-5 years. For those who don't know, Ian Frazer is the man who invented Gardasil and is a past 'Aussie of the Year'. Smart man. Hope it works out.

[whitedaisies]

I guess I missed that in the article, thanks.

 

Hope things move quickly. I am trying to be patient.

[WCSDancer2010]

Whitedaisies

 

The condoms will still only cover part of the area, but it's a better than nothing thing and I would hope that some of the chemical would get to other areas and slow down the spread in some people...

 

But the chemical in the condoms is also being tried here for BV... if it gets approved for that, sometimes Dr's will prescribe something for other things that the drug *may* help while the FDA figures it all out. Many medicines are approved initially for one thing but end up being more effective for something else later on. Also, the research is saying that a lot of the women who get HSV also have BV... and that the BV makes it easier for the HSV virus to get into the body. So that alone (the Tx for BV) may help some to not get the virus.

[whitedaisies]

OK....I guess I am slightly not hopeless then. On a downer today, just ignore me.

[WCSDancer2010]

The BIG thing is that this is the first new thing that *might* help slow the spread that has actually been approved somewhere.... we still have a long way to go, but at least *something* has made it through all the hoops , and hopefully the FDA will follow suit with it here sooner than later.