Women account for the greatest population in the world yet present themselves as the most vulnerable beings. Statistics point out that women account for a higher population than men when it comes to HIV infection in Africa. Especially to the young girls. However, the infection is about to be reduced following proven research on a certain injection. It has been proven that this medicine worked better than the pills to protect girls from contracting HIV from an infected sexual partner. The research was conducted in Africa, and it is advantageous to the young girls in Africa and more broadly to women in the continent.
Outcomes of the research on the rate of Women contracting HIV
The study involved 3200 participants from seven African countries. They were then administered with the shots and Truvada pills among the individuals every two months. Later, the study was put to a halt when 0.21 percent of women receiving the shots tested positive for the virus. And 1.79 percent were on pills tested positive for the same.
Cabotegravir, which is the name the drug goes by, has an 89 percent effectiveness score. In fact, it is more effective than Truvada pills to prevent the contraction of the virus. Nonetheless, both serve the same purpose of protection against the virus, although Truvada has recorded to have more side effects like nausea. The results are not far from tests carried out on gay men in comparing the shots versus the pills earlier this year.
About the manufacturers
Viiv Health care has had the privilege of developing this drug. Viiv is largely owned by GlaxoSmithKline, alongside Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi Limited. The United States National Institute of Health (NIH), the Bill and Melinda gates foundation, were partakers in funding the whole research to Viiv Healthcare. An investment that proved worthwhile and saw the drugs being provided by Gilead Sciences. Gilead Sciences were also Truvada`s architect.
Dr. Antony Fauci, the top infectious disease doctor at NIH, expressed his joy towards the making of Cabotegravir. He further outlined how young women would greatly benefit from the new drug. A new option that is quite effective for the girl child in the present era. A milestone towards the realization of the cure of the virus.
What this translates for the Truvada pills
The pills are currently widely used in the market today. However, with the increased percentage of effectiveness with Cabotegravir, as soon as the drug passed the approval test, it would not be business as usual for the Truvada pills. The shots are to be provided at an affordable rate to the consumers, as affirmed by Mitchell Warren, the head of AVAC, formerly identified as the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition. Although the use of condoms is highly still recommended in the prevention of other sexually transmitted diseases. What Cabotegravir offers to the people is a choice to HIV prevention and not the STIs.
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