8 February 2007 - PANA. A total of 234 Ugandan women have enrolled for trials of a new gel designed to help women protect themselves from HIV/AIDS infection, according to officials Monday.
The gel is also being tested in South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania.  Two bodies- Uganda Virus Research Institute and the Medical Research Council, conducting the trials say the new gel is different from the one discontinued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last month.
The principal investigator at the Medical Research Council, Dr. Anatoli Kamali, said a chemical compound in the form of a gel called PRO2000, was tested and found to be safe.
"The gel is being investigated because there has not been a method that women can use to protect themselves without negotiating with men," Dr. Kamali is quoted as saying in an interview appearing in the 'Daily Monitor' newspaper Monday.  "The gel is one of four being investigated in other parts of the world. The others are carraguard, buffergel and cellulose sulphate," he added.

 
Tests of the latter were halted by the WHO and UN Aids after it was found that women using it were at a higher risk of getting infected by HIV/AIDS.
The African Microbicides Advocacy Group claims that in Benin, South Africa and Uganda, where the tests were carried out, between one third and half of all women of reproductive age were already HIV positive.
A total of 710 Ugandan women will participate in the trials by March 2008 and results will be known by the end of next year. 
 
Click here for more UgandaNews
 
Click here for more Africa Health News