Women in a growing number of African countries will soon have access to a vaginal ring to help reduce their risk of acquiring HIV from an infected partner. And they can use it discreetly, without their partner or anyone else knowing. The ring is inserted and slowly releases the antiretroviral drug dapivirine for a month, when it is removed and replaced with a new ring.
The Population Council, a nonprofit global research organization which develops, supplies and distributes sexual and reproductive pharmaceuticals including the dapivirine vaginal ring, announced last month that the ring soon will be available in five additional African countries: Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda and Zambia. It is currently available through recent pilot programs in six African countries: Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
