Negative Results from Another Anti-HIV Microbicide Trial

In a phase III placebo-controlled trial involving 6200 women in South Africa, the microbicide Carraguard was found to be safe for vaginal use, but it was not effective in preventing HIV acquisition. Notably, microbicide adherence was quite low (10% of women used the gel for 100% of sex acts; 20% used it for 75% of acts), and condom use increased markedly in the study population as a whole (the proportion of women who reported recent use of male condoms increased from 33% at baseline to 64% at follow-up).