New Study Shows Women At Greater Risk Of HIV Infection Than Previously Thought

New Study Shows Women At Greater Risk Of HIV Infection Than Previously Thought

A new study has challenged common opinion regarding the risk of HIV transmission in unprotected heterosexual sex, according to Global HIV and AIDS News, December 17, 2008. Scientist previously thought that due to the protective lining of the vagina the only route of transmission was through damage skin or cuts or sores in the vaginal tract.

The new study has shown that in fact HIV is capable of moving between the skin cells themselves breaching healthy vaginal tissue and thus causing infection. As skin cells are about to be shed they no longer are as tightly bound, allowing the virus to then go between these cells. Once the virus has reached a fraction of a millimeter below the surface it is able to invade the immune cells it needs to establish itself in the body.

Lead Professor of the research study said:” This is an important and unexpected result – we have a new understanding of how HIV can invade the female vaginal tract”.

The findings show that new prevention strategies are urgently needed to block the entry of HIV through this route. It serves also to strengthen the argument that condoms are a vital part of safer heterosexual sex and that Governments and HIV Practitioners worldwide need to do more to advocate the use of them.
The findings could also potentially help in the development of new microbicides to protect women against HIV.