Noticias

The advance of the fabrication of a microbicide gel is a highlight that has demonstrated high efficacy in the first studies. The CAPRISA study, realized among women in Africa, has demonstrated that this technology can be available to the world very soon. This gel prevents the virus from arriving to the body, being applied in the vagina before the penetration. The main idea in the development of this technology is to offer alternatives to condoms, that up until now, in the only available technology to prevent the entry of the virus to the body.
SOMOSGAY made contact with IRMA, the International Rectal Microbicide Advocates. This is an organization of activists around the world that promote the scientific research and the development of a microbicide gel that can be utilized in anal relations. Through this network of knowledge, formed by this coalition, advances are presented and discussed in the prevention, on microbicides.
The other presented advance on prevention, has been the called use of PrEP, PRe Exposure Prophylaxis, a revolutionary treatment in which the drugs used to treat HIV infected people, are administered to people without HIV as a preventive measure.
This polemic strategy has been tried on some gay males in Europe, demonstrating to be quite effective. For this test, several serodiscordant couples (where one is HIV positive and the other is not) that stopped using condoms were used. In the study there were no new infections, therefore making clear that the use of ARV (antiretrovirals) or medicines for HIV as a method of prevention is on its initial stages. Nevertheless, this new focus is not excluded from polemics, given the fact that pharmaceutical companies have been accused of wanting to expand the market of their ARV drugs. Beyond these critics, this scientific advance marks a new path towards the finding of a vaccine for HIV.
Furthermore, on the topic of the vaccine, after years of silence, the academic environment of the conference seemed very enthusiastic when these new advances that promise a definite cure for HIV were presented. A promise made since the beginning of the epidemic in the 1980s.
The HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is considered the most studied virus in the world, responsible to one of the pandemics of the human race that threatens its entire future. This virus has also forced us to analyze and think on the different inequalities that make us vulnerable to it.
SOMOSGAY takes part of a series of global networks that contribute to the access of advances and latest findings in science, in its mission to improve the response of our country to the HIV epidemic.