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South African and Ugandan women will be among the 10,000 respondents from Africa participating in a major British study into a gel that could help prevent the spread of HIV, experts said on Tuesday.
Preliminary laboratory tests indicate that the PRO 2000 microbicide gel could be capable of blocking the entry of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in humans and protecting animals against infection.
Agence France-Presse quoted Dr Sibongile Walaza, from the Reproductive Health Research Unit in Johannesburg, South Africa, as saying, "If microbicides are shown to be effective in these trials they would ideally be used in addition to condoms, but even on their own they could significantly reduce transmission of HIV and STIs."
Women in South Africa and Uganda will begin enrolling in the trial this week. The project will be extended to include Tanzania and Zambia later this year.
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