Vaginal anti-HIV gel

[HiggsBoson]

I've read that there has been a study involving South African women with a Vaginal anti-HIV gel. Does anyone else see a ethical problem with a clinical trial with a medicine that does not 100% protect against HIV? Not only that, in the study placebos were given to some women, basically leaving them to get infected with HIV.

 

What are your opinions on this issue?

[John Cuthber]

What else could you do?

[insane_alien]

well, your control group could just be monitoring people who weren't using the gel.

[DJBruce]

I see no real ethical problems with this study. Those who receive the gel are being given a possible new barrier against squiring HIV. However, those who receive the placebo are only maintaining their initial risk of getting HIV. Participating in the study does not increase the risk of the patients getting HIV. It remains the same for the control and possibly decreases for the experimental group.

[John Cuthber]

well, your control group could just be monitoring people who weren't using the gel.

 

Use of a gel may change behaviour, so that wouldn't be a valid control.

[insane_alien]

yes, but the change in behaviour could be considered part of its effectiveness.

[John Cuthber]

It's possible that using the gel might make some people feel safe so they would screw around more. That would increase their risk. If the effect of the gel exactly countered that you would see the same incidence in both groups and conclude that the gel didn't work, which would be the wrong conclusion.

[AzurePhoenix]

I've read that there has been a study involving South African women with a Vaginal anti-HIV gel. Does anyone else see a ethical problem with a clinical trial with a medicine that does not 100% protect against HIV? Not only that, in the study placebos were given to some women, basically leaving them to get infected with HIV.

 

What are your opinions on this issue?

Bah, they knew they might be in the control group, and everyone was advised and instructed on how to avoid HIV-risky behavior. They knew what they were getting into and made their choices.

[jimmydasaint]

I think the gels have shown a success:

 

Success at last for anti-HIV gel

Vaginal gel cuts HIV infection in women by half.

 

Rebecca Trager

 

 

The first succesful trial of an HIV gel has shown that it may prevent transmission of the virus to women.

 

An antiretroviral microbicide gel can cut HIV infection in women by more than 50% if used consistently.

 

Worldwide, an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV, roughly half of them women, according to UNAIDS. In South Africa, one in three women aged 20–34 is estimated to be infected with HIV. Because 60% of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa are in women, there is a sense of urgency surrounding the development of HIV-prevention tools for this group.

Link

 

Moreover, IMO, it would have been unethical to leave the women in the control group uneducated about sexual behaviour during the study.

Edited August 8, 2010 by jimmydasaint