Ladies, would you wear a vaginal ring that regularly releases an anti-HIV drug while inside you?
One group of researchers sure hopes so.
The experimental vaginal ring – which is flexible and made of silicone – is packed with dapivirine, an HIV prevention drug. Researchers provided the rings to more than 2,600 women ages 18 to 45 living in Uganda, Zimbabwe and Malawi, South Africa.
When used properly, the ring is inserted into the vagina and left there for a month. Then, it’s replaced with a new ring. Each ring contains a new dose of the anti-HIV drug.
After interviewing 214 of the participants, researchers found that the ring didn’t negatively affect the women’s physical sex lives.
But, some women did admit to worrying what would happen if their sexual partners found out about the ring by feeling it during intercourse. They wondered if their partner would…