AIDS gel for women can help men too

Gels that have been created, to help women to fight aids can help men too, says research. This was predicted, with computer models that, when such types of gels and creams if improved, than it will decrease the risk of getting aids from women. Females, who make use of such gels, creams or microbicides, have option for little treatment choices, if they become infected with HIV positive. It was said by Prof. Sally Blower, of University of California of Los Angeles and Prof. David Wilson of University of New South Wales of Sydney, Australia.

It may sound like a paradox, but these microbicides that are meant to protect women from getting transmitted, can help men too, from getting prevented from aids virus. The study was written in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Now the question is what is a microbicides?

A microbicides is a form of gel or cream that could be applied on the vagina or rectally in order to protect against virus aids, that happens due to sexual transmission. It is a human immunodeficiency virus. Though, these gels have not hit the markets now, as they are still in testing stages. Two types of HIV drugs such as Tenofovir are consumed orally to repress the virus.

The two professors wanted to study, whether the females were at risk, if they developed resistance to these drugs and if they made use of microbicides, but even then they developed the infection. It was their idea that, the drug could get absorbed inside the body through the wall of the vagina. And like any other drug the aids virus got mutated.

The study was based on mathematical models. It predicted that it was possible, especially under real situations when, some people did not make use of the products consistently. The findings were a mixture of surprises and paradox. And in some cases it was found that, the males were more benefitted then, their female counterparts. Thus, a lot more infections could be controlled in men than in women.

For their models to work, the professors made use of data that were taken from the ongoing trials of microbicides. It was also seen with other facts that, how HIV develops resistance in later stages, and how people are consistent in making use of drugs and other protections.

If a microbicides was not 100% protective, and to that if the women who used it did not used it consistently, then some amount of HIV would be transmitted in them. Among the others, who used these gels regularly but who stopped oral intake of drugs, will develop resistance too. Often, it has been observed that a drug resistant HIV is less likely to be transmitted in between two persons. Hence, in such cases the partners of such women might have been protected from HIV.