According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, at the end of 2009 over 66 thousand Canadians were diagnosed with HIV. (That’s roughly 0.2 per cent of the Canadian population.) Most of us have grown up knowing about the suffering and stigma associated with HIV. But Canadians are fortunate because the chance of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is relatively low, thanks to access to sexual education, protection and quality health care.
The same cannot be said for the people of sub-Saharan Africa, where the United Nations Development Program reports over 22 million people are living with HIV. Fortunately, for those at risk of infection, soon there may be a cheap and accessible resource for protecting themselves from HIV that comes from a somewhat surprising source.
Scientists are working to develop a personal lubricant that reduces the chance of HIV transmission between sexual partners, and the key ingredient is seaweed.
Red seaweed—a kind of large algae—contains a gelatinous and spongy substance called carrageenan. The slimy, squishy quality of carrageenan makes it appealing for use in the food and cosmetic industries by creating jelly-like textures. It is found in products such as ice cream, yogurt, toothpaste and body lotion. We probably eat carrageenan everyday, and soon we may be using it to help protect ourselves from STIs.
STIs are either viral (like HIV) or bacterial infections. To decrease the risk of infection by STIs we use microbicides (a term that means “kills microbes”). In 2008 the results of the first personal lubricant microbicide to go into Phase 3 clinical trials, Carraguard, was released. Made with a carrageenan base, Carraguard was reported to not statistically lower HIV infections rates, but was deemed safe for continued human use.
In 2011, a group of scientists from across the United States published an article in scientific journal, PLoS ONE, on the testing of a carrageenan-based microbicide gel, and deemed it “a useful vehicle to deliver anti-HIV drugs”. The results of the study showed their carrageenan-based microbicide completely protected female rhesus macaques (monkeys) from the transmission of the macaque version of HIV over a 24-hour period. The next step is Phase 1 human trials to take place in 2012.
The over 22 million people infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa represent two-thirds of the world HIV infection total, and almost 60 per cent of sub-Saharans infected with HIV are women. Women can apply personal lubricants to their own bodies prior to sexual contact and aid sexual pleasure. This is in contrast to condoms, which can decrease sexual pleasure, cause short-term impotence, are sometimes difficult to access, and require the consent and participation of both sexual parties to be effective. The development of low-cost, readily available, and safe methods of protection would allow people—especially women—to take control of their own sexual health.
While still in the development and testing stages, these products show signs of promise. If scientists are successful, we can look forward to a future when all sexually active individuals—especially those in high-risk areas like sub-Saharan Africa—can possibly have safer sex.
But, in the meantime, we can continue to enjoy our carrageenan-enhanced ice cream.
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