WHO recommends dapivirine vaginal ring as preventative measure to women at substantial risk of HIV

DPV-VR may be given as a preventative measure to women at substantial risk of HIV (Photo: Shutterstock)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommeded that the dapivirine vaginal ring (DPV-VR) may be given as a preventative measure to women at substantial risk of HIV, in addition to other prevention practices.

The ring is made of silicone and contains antiretroviral drug dapivirine which is slowly released into the vagina for a period of 28 days.

How it works

For the ring to be effective, one must insert the ring into the vagina for 28 days after which it should be replaced with a new one. As it’s made out of silicone, it is easy to bend and insert. It nevertheless needs to be used alongside other safe sex practices.

Controlled trials found that women who used DPV-VR were at lower risk of HIV infection. This is a welcome discovery. In a report released by the National Aids Control Council it was found that adolescent girls and young women between the ages of 15 and 24 made up a third of the 41,728 new HIV infections in Kenya.

The report went on to explain that more young women and girls than boys and young men were at higher risk of infection because of limited access to medical services, lack of comprehensive sex education and low socio-economic status.

It contains antiretroviral drug dapivirine which is slowly released into the vagina (Photo: WHO)

“Delay in awareness of HIV status also delays entry into prevention and treatment services,” the report said.

Since DPV-VR is a female-led initiative to prevent HIV, it means that introduction to and continuous use of the ring among women who are at high risk of HIV infection, will lead to a reduced number of new infections.

DPV-VR is the first vaginal HIV prevention product available. However, it is currently unavailable in Kenya. A source at National AIDS and STI Control Programme told Eve Digital that when WHO approves any intervention, countries decide whether or not to take it. They then carry out their own research, and together with the research that has already been carried out at a global level, before deciding how to adopt it and how to scale it up.

Even so, the WHO recommended certain considerations to be made in the rollout of the ring including providing women with full information so that they can make an informed choice about the benefits and risks of using the ring as well as including DPV-VR as part of comprehensive services.